Visiting Smallville
by StillSleeping
Summary: When the Winchester brothers arrive in Smallville, they join up with Chloe to help solve the strange things that happen in the small town. Set during Season 1 of Smallville and sort of during S1 of Supernatural.
1. Pilot

**This is my first supernatural-smallville crossover, and while i have seen almost all episodes of Smallville around 3 times, I haven't seen that many supernatural episodes (I've nearly finished the first series) so I don't know if the brothers will be in character.**

**I do not own either show.**

**I still haven't thought of a title for this story (if it ever manages to be more than one chapter) so if you can think of a possible title, please share them with me.**

**Thanks**

Pilot

"Hey, kid." He lifted his face, the evening sun dimming his view. "Help me." He turned away from the sun, catching sight of a younger boy, tied to a pole. His face was thin, his eyes tired.

Sam staggered up, leaning on the pole, his fingers fumbling with the knots holding up the boy's arms. The boys breathing was unsteady, tired as he clung to consciousness. Then he gasped, his whole body tensing.

Sam lost his fingering, cursed and looked up. Something stretched across the sky. Following it's path, Sam winced as it blasted the 'Smallville' sign into smithereens.

Sam shook with fear, his brain reminding him of the insanely small chance of a meteor collision with the earth.

"No!" breathed the boy. "Help me! Help me before it comes!"

Sam glanced up, feeling the boys terror as he focussed on another approaching object. Sam's fingers dropped from the rope and he turned, running away from everything; the boy, the meteor.

The ground trembled and it went black.

*

Sam lurched forward, sweat rolling down his forehead. His black hair fell flat and his brown eyes were bloodshot as he recalled the strange dream. The green sheet was tangled in his legs, the pillow on the floor. The motel room felt small as he attempted to calm his breathing.

"Nightmare?" the deep voice of his brother calmed him, so Sam nodded. "Was it about Jess?"

Sam paused, his mind flying to her death, and soon another layer of sweat covered him.

"No." he gasped, his voice hoarse. "I was in a field. Someone was tied to a cross." Dean raised an eyebrow. "I tried to save him but there was a meteor shower."

"Do you want to look into it?" Dean asked, already expecting Sam's nod. He rummaged through his bag, lightly grabbing their fathers journal. As Sam sat back, trying to remember more, Dean read through the journal. He found pages on various things; wendigos, exorcisms but nothing on meteor showers.

Sam clutched his head, mumbling through the dream whilst Dean closed the book, a small photo falling from its pages. Dean picked it up, eyes widening as he gazed at it.

It showed his father with a man around his age. The man had his arm around a young girl, who Dean assumed was his daughter, and they were all grinning. They stood near a large sign reading 'Smallville – meteor capital of the world.'

Dean grinned. "Sammy." Sam looked, his expression tired as he tried to see what Dean was waving at him.

"What?" he groaned.

"If anyone got killed by a meteor, I bet it was in the meteor capital of the world." he smirked.

"Where's that?"

"Smallville." Dean flipped over the photo, where a paragraph was written in his father's handwriting. It read '1994, helping Gabe move in" before listing an address. "It appears dad has a friend there." he smiled, already picking up clothes and shoving them into a duffel bag. "We're going back to Kansas." he exclaimed, lugging the bag out of the room and into the '69 Impala.

Sam rolled off the bed, quickly standing up and joining Dean in the car.

*

Dean turned left into the estate, a large Luthorcorp sign heralding the entrance. The car continued to travel through the streets until Sam spotted the correct house and pulled up by the pavement. Sam unlocked the door, stepping out. When Dean followed him, they approached the front door and knocked.

They waited a few seconds until the door was opened by the man in the picture.

"Hello?" he asked, gazing at the two boys.

"I'm Sam." Sam held out his hand. "And this is my brother Dean. We're John Winchesters sons." Gabe grasped their hands firmly, welcoming them in.

"I used to hunt with your dad." he explained, his immediate trust slightly unnerving them. "But I stopped when my wife left." The brothers exchanged a look at the fact, Sam quickly explaining the point of their visit.

"I had a hunch." he finished. "That could lead to something bad." Gabe shook his head.

"A lot of strange things happen here." he sighed. "I never suspected any supernatural activities."

Dean grimaced as Sam smiled politely. "I would still like to check around." Gabe nodded, understanding Sam's worry.

"You're welcome to stay here." he smiled. "I'll show you to the guest room after we've eaten."

Dean gazed out the window, as a small car pulled up near the house, before turning back to his brother. The front door shook and Gabe sighed, heaving himself off the sofa and motioning for them to stay sitting. "It's my daughter." he explained as the sound of knocking started. He left the lounge, shouting through the door. "Have you forgotten your keys?" Dean chuckled. "Then you owe me 5 dollars."

A loud grumbling sounded from behind the door as Gabe clicked open the lock.

"There you go." came a girls voice, before Gabe led her back to the lounge, a five dollar bill clutched in his hand. His daughter's eyes flickered between the brothers before she sat down opposite them.

"Where did you get this?" her father asked, confusion flitting over his face.

"I won a bet." she answered, frowning as Dean nudged Sam in amusement.

"My type of woman." he chuckled, wincing as Sam hit him.

"What bet?" Gabe asked angrily, hovering near Chloe.

"I bet Clark would fall over before talking to Lana." she grinned widely. "And I won." Sam glanced at her, thinking that it would be hard to predict. Gabe seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"How could you know that would happen?" Gabe asked.

"It's a statistical fact." she giggled. "Clark Kent can't get within five feet of Lana Lang without turning into a total freak show."

Dean sniggered. Sam's eyes widened as Chloe's gaze turned to them

"Who are you?" she asked, dumping her bag onto the floor.

"I'm Dean." he smirked, running his eyes up her body. She rolled her eyes as Sam held out his hand.

"I'm Sam, his brother." Chloe smiled at him and he blushed. She reached for his hand, pausing when her phone started to ring. She removed her hand and started to rummage through her bag, withdrawing her phone. She pressed a button, her eyes flickering across the screen, before grabbing the television remote from the armrest by Sam. She pressed a top button, smiling as a dark, handsome boy appeared on the screen.

Gabe's eyes widened. "is that Clark?" he asked. Chloe's grin widened.

_Earlier today, Lex Luthor lost control of his Porsche, driving it off a bridge. Local freshman, Clark Kent, dived in after him, performing CPR to allow Lex to regain consciousness._

As the news reader expanded on the story, Dean snorted. "This is the same guy who falls over near that girl." he chuckled, while Chloe continued to gaze at the young man's image. She turned off the television when another news article began.

"I don't need dinner." She told her father. "I'll be getting an exclusive interview with the man of the hour." Grabbing her phone, she left the room.

Gabe sighed. "If you need anything, just ask." Dean shook his head but Sam nodded.

"Could we use your computer?" he asked, his gaze locked on the large piece of machinery in the corner.

"Of course, but it's really slow." Gabe grimaced before walking to the kitchen.

Sam walked over to the computer, turning it on and opening the Internet Browser.

"Gabe was right, this is slow." Dean sighed, pushing Sam aside to type in 'Smallville, scarecrow in field." He pressed enter before lounging back in his chair.

Chloe's door slammed shut as she emerged from her room. She rushed down the stairs, catching sight of the brothers at the computer.

"Clark didn't feel like an interview." she explained, pulling a chair up next to them. "What are you looking for?"

"Sam had a hunch about some guy, tied up in a field as a scarecrow, dying in a field in Smallville." Dean said. Chloe raised an eyebrow.

"That's pretty specific for a hunch." she laughed. "If it's any help, Pete and Clark say that every year, the football team choose a freshman and hang him up like a scarecrow before the big game." Sam looked at her, unable to believe the strange ritual she described. "Years of therapy waiting to happen." Sam chuckled. "If you're looking for a death, try Riley's field, 1989."

"Why?" asked Sam, flinching as Chloe gently laid a hand on his arm, allowing her to see the screen more clearly.

"Clark says the scarecrows are hung up in Riley's field and that's one of the meteor strikes." Dean frowned.

"What's with all the meteors anyway?" he asked.

"Look it up," Chloe teased, leaning over Sam to reach the keyboard. Sam glanced at Dean, eyes wide. She quickly typed in a different search term; 'Riley's field death, 1989' and pressed enter.

Nothing.

Sam sighed, hands covering his face.

"Maybe it was a bad hunch." Dean grumbled, but Chloe shook her head.

"Maybe you're not looking for the right thing." she told them, getting up as Gabe called them to dinner.

*

Sam held the door open as Chloe clambered into the back seat of the Impala. As she passed the front mirror, she grinned at Dean.

"You don't have to drive me to school." she whined, laughing as Sam shook his head.

"It's on the way." Dean said, causing Chloe to laugh harder.

"Not if you're going to Riley field." Sam frowned, checking the map before nodding in agreement.

"Well, you're in now." Dean grumbled, pulling away from the pavement. For a few minutes, they sat in silence.

"Chloe, tell us about yourself." Sam ordered, making Dean snort in disbelief. Almost immediately, Chloe blushed and pointed out the window in an attempt to move the attention away from herself. When it failed, she started to talk.

"I'm 15, a freshman at Smallville High. I'm the main reporter for the Torch, the school newspaper. My best friends are Clark Kent and Pete Ross. My hobby is investigating all things weird here in Smallville."

The brothers frowned at her hobby, before Dean spoke once more.

"So you like the supernatural?"

"I've never had any reason to believe in the supernatural." she replied. "I prefer the unexplained or the paranormal, like mutants." She looked at Sam. "Do you believe in it?"

"Yes." he told her. "We've come across many things that can only be explained by the supernatural." Chloe laughed.

"My dad always tries to explain things that way, but I always prove him wrong." Sam laughed with her, stopping when Dean pulled up to the school. "Thanks." She grabbed her bag, before climbing over, waving goodbye as a black boy sidled up to her, telling a joke which immediately made her laugh.

Sam grimaced as Dean turned the car round, driving away from the school towards the field.

Although it was full of corn, the field was empty. Dean had the homemade EMF in his hand and was scouring the field. Sam was on his hands and knees, searching the ground.

"Sam, there's nothing here." Dean cursed as he tripped over a rock. "What was that?" he picked up the green rock, chucking it up and down.

Sam looked up at it. "It doesn't look natural." he pointed out.

"Maybe it's a meteor rock?" Dean suggested, dropping it. "How about we go to the library and read up on Smallville?" he grimaced. "You might find something." Sam shook his head in amusement.

"Maybe I was dreaming about the meteor shower, not the scarecrow."

Dean shook his head. "I doubt the scarecrow was there for your entertainment." he grumbled, leaving the field. "You coming?"

*

Chloe thanked the bus driver as she stumbled off the bus, a folder clutched under her arm; her other hand waving to Pete. Through the window she glimpsed the brothers talking to her father. Sam had a look of utter frustration on his face as he massaged his temples. Dean was furiously examining a map.

She unlocked the door quietly, before announcing her arrival, laughing as they jumped in shock.

She moved into the living room, dumping the folder on the coffee table, ignoring her father's sigh.

"You're home early." he smiled.

"I didn't feel like staying at school." Gabe shot her a confused look. "Clark never came to school today." Sam frowned as she sat between the two brothers, leaning forward to open the folder, revealing it to be full of rough articles and layouts for the following day.

Dean picked up a small, typed article, chuckling.

"You fancy Clark and you still make him write stories on the exciting new cafeteria menu."

"I do not fancy Clark." she snapped, grabbing the article and placing it back in its correct place.

Sam, however, was reading the main article, titled 'CHAMPION JOCK FOUND COMATOSE'.

"What's this?" he asked, turning his gaze to the blonde.

"A former jock was found in his workshop in a coma. All evidence seems to point to a freak electrical malfunction." she paused. "But I think someone electrocuted him on purpose."

Sam glanced at her, wondering how she could come to that idea.

"They found a picture of him and his fellow jocks cracked on the floor. It doesn't seem like a typical malfunction."

She gathered the folder up in her arms, smirking at the worried Sam. "Now I'll leave you two alone to your investigative work."

As she strode out the room, Sam leant towards Dean. "What if this spirit is somehow electrocuting people? If its hurting former jocks, it could be getting revenge for being strung up like a scarecrow." Sam suggested.

"I understand the idea of revenge but we don't even know if there is a spirit." Dean sighed. "And if there was, why would he be electrocuting them?"

*

When Chloe's alarm went off, she pulled herself out of bed before getting dressed, slipping a pink flower behind her ear. She rushed downstairs, grabbing some toast from the kitchen before moving into the main room. She frowned, seeing the two brothers hunched over the computer.

"Why doesn't it work?" the eldest grumbled, as Sam shook his head.

"I don't know, I've searched for everything." he grimaced. Chloe snuck up behind them, quickly reading the screen.

"Why are you assuming someone died in Riley field?" she asked, exasperated as both men looked up, startled. They exchanged looks before pushing away from the computer, giving up the search.

"Maybe it was just an electrical malfunction?" Dean admitted quietly to Sam, but Chloe heard and sighed in disbelief. As Sam turned round to face her, her phone rang. She held up her finder, lifting the phone to her ear.

Her eyes widened and she quickly grabbed her purse, muttering a swift 'See you there'. She hung up, turning to the Winchesters.

"Another jock was found, comatose." She told them quickly, grimacing as Dean grabbed his car keys. "You're giving me a lift?" he nodded. She didn't say anything, ushering them both to the car, clumsily falling into the backseat and directing them to where she was going.

At the large crowd she jumped out the car and was greeted by Pete and a tall boy in plaid, before pushing her way to the front of the crowd.

"_That's _Clark Kent?" Sam muttered to Dean as he looked for a parking space. "He's far too good looking. Shouldn't he be modelling?"

"Jealous?" taunted Dean, chuckling as he pulled up in a side-street.

Sam shot him an annoyed look as they joined the large crowd, catching sight of Chloe on the opposite side. She grimaced, and then Pete nudged her, saying something. She shook her head, raising her camera before answering. She took the photo, making the brothers try to see what she had caught on the camera. When they looked back, Clark was making his way out the crowd, the others following him.

They frowned as Chloe held Pete back, asking him a question. The boy glanced at Clark before asking her something instead of answering. She sighed as the crowd engulfed her.

"We've lost her." Dean smirked. "Let's look into this." He pulled a fake badge out his pocket, before pulling Sam with him into the crime scene.

*

Chloe slowly closed the front door, hearing now familiar sounds of frustration from the living room. She wanted to grin but was upset after an earlier conversation with Clark.

"There's nothing here suggesting supernatural activity." Dean groaned. Chloe made her way towards them, throwing herself down on the opposite sofa.

"Chloe, go to your room. We're discussing something." her father said from a nearby chair. Chloe didn't move, making an awkward silence fall over the group.

"You're talking about scarecrow boy, right?" Sam nodded. "I know the whole story." she boasted, removing two pieces of paper from her bag. She slapped the first one, a black-and-white photograph, onto the table. "Jeremy Creek, 1989." Sam recognised him from his dream, nudging Dean to show his familiarity. She lay the next image down. "Jeremy Creek, today."

"Impossible." sighed Sam, disregarding the evidence.

"Leave us alone Chloe." sighed Gabe. Chloe pushed a newspaper cutting onto the table.

"Comatose teen found in field, twenty yards from meteor shower." she read aloud as Dean read the rest of the article over her shoulder, having moved round to see her information more clearly.

"Out-of-body experience?" he suggested.

"He must have been removed from life support." Sam stated. "It's been twelve years."

"He was never removed from life support." she told them.

"Why hasn't he aged?" asked Sam, re-examining the pictures. Chloe smiled knowingly, moving to sit next to Sam. Dean followed her.

"I think it was exposure to the blast but somehow he suffered a massive electrolyte imbalance." Gabe sighed at her explanation.

"It doesn't explain how he's hurting people now, if it's even him." Dean sounded exasperated.

"Last week, there was a massive electrical storm at the hospital and the generator cut out." Chloe looked at the men, noticing that none had any idea what she was getting at. "Jeremy was gone when the lights came back on."

"How did that happen?" Sam wondered.

"Demonic possession?" Dean suggested. "The circumstances could suggest demonic activity."

Chloe laughed; her eyes wide. "You guys are real weirdoes." she exclaimed. "My theory is that the meteors made this town go schizo. The rocks affect people."

Dean shook his head. "You're as weird as us." Chloe frowned, getting up.

"Fine, don't believe me." she excused herself from the room.

"I don't know what's going on, but it's not our normal gig." Dean sighed. "What do you think we'll need?

*

Chloe emerged from her room, eyes widening as she saw all the weapons around the two men. She leant carefully against the doorframe, taking care not to wrinkle her clothes.

"Are you going after him?" she asked. Sam looked up first, a low gasp escaping from his lips as he took in her appearance. A dark dress clung to her figure and her hair was tied up ornately.

Dean looked up too, whistling his agreement. Chloe blushed, spinning round as Gabe shot glares at the brothers.

"Why are you all dressed?" her father asked.

"Homecoming Dance, dad." she explained and he tensed.

"Who's taking you?" his voice had gained a protective edge.

"Pete." she paused. "We're going as friends." Her father visibly relaxed, while Chloe fidgeted nervously.

The doorbell rang and Chloe opened it. She giggled at something Pete said and then span round once more. She wished the brothers good luck before leaving the house.

Sam quickly grabbed a bag, moving away from the house towards the car. Dean slid into the driver's seat, pulling out of the parking space and heading towards Riley's field.

The field was similar to before, the only difference being the lights glowing through the corn.

"Car headlights." Dean told Sam, a torch spawning in his hand. He turned slowly, illuminating a figure in the darkness.

"Who's that?" whispered Sam, as they approached it. As they grew closer, it turned, torch in one hand, necklace in another.

"Who are you?" he asked. Dean lowered his torch, so the man did the same.

"I'm Dean and this is my brother Sam." Dean said quickly. "You?"

"Lex Luthor." he replied, and Dean frowned. "Did you see Clark Kent pass you?"

"No." Dean shook his head. "Why?"

"I just removed him from a cross. He had an 'S' painted on his chest." He sighed. "He needs to go to hospital."

To Lex's astonishment, Dean sniggered.

"Clark was this year's scarecrow." he shared a look with Sam. "He's more of a loser than I thought." Lex looked confused but quickly stalked off.

Sam led Dean past where Lex was originally standing, stopping when he saw a wooden cross.

"Biblical or what?" Dean muttered as Sam looked around.

"He's got rid of the jocks." Sam exclaimed, frustrated. "Where would he go now?"

"Nothing." Dean groaned, leading Sam back to the car.

*

Chloe laughed loudly, her gaze fixed on the three trucks piled on top of each other. Whitney Fordman was still yelling, asking for whoever had done it.

She shivered. Looking down, she saw a small trail of water, seeping into her shoes. She barked one final laugh, hitching her dress up above her ankles, wading through the water round to the back of the school.

A truck was lodged through the school wall, breaking through a water pipe, which was steadily spitting water onto Chloe's hair and dress.

She grimaced, squeezing herself through the thin gap between the truck and the wall, the rough plaster scraping her arms.

Jeremy Creek lay slumped in the front seat.

He turned his empty gaze to her and she struggled to reach her phone.

"Where am I?" he whispered. "Take me home." Reluctantly she nodded, dialling 911 and explaining the situation.

"Chloe?" Pete called through the gap, watching as she forced herself back to the other side, sopping wet, her arms bleeding.

He scooped her into his arms, bringing her back to his car.

The drive back was silent, so Chloe was thankful when Pete stopped next to the black Impala before leading her to her front door.

She waved him goodbye, unlocking the door.

The three men sat in the kitchen, frustrated. Chloe laughed weakly at their expressions. The men looked up, gaping at her drowned appearance.

"What happened?" asked Sam.

She shivered, mumbling thanks as her father draped a towel around her. She sat in the small space between the two brothers, leaving no gap between them, absorbing their body heat.

"I found Jeremy crashed in the school." she told them, shocked expressions appearing on their faces. "He was soaking wet, and couldn't remember a thing. I think he accidentally electrocuted himself." She grinned. "And someone piled up the jocks trucks."

Gabe laughed, turning an expectant gaze to his daughter, "Did you dance with Clark? he asked.

She stopped grinning. "No, he didn't show."

"He was this year's scarecrow." Dean laughed. "Lex Luthor let him down." Chloe frowned with worry, while Gabe picked Chloe's camera up from the table.

"Why don't you dance with Sam?" he suggested. "He looks similar."

"He doesn't." she laughed, holding out her hand.

"I need one picture of you all dressed up."

Dean burst into laughter when Sam roughly grabbed her hand and placed a hand on her waist. She grinned at the formal position, her father pressing play on the CD player. They began to sway slowly, Chloe still laughing.

"Are you staying?" she asked them. Sam loosened his grip, turning to Dean, who quickly grabbed Chloe, holding her looser than Sam had.

"There are no cases for us to solve at the moment." Dean sighed. "We've looked. If Gabe will let us, we'll stay until we find another one."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed it.**

**Now I've read it through, I'm not too sure about Chloe either.**

**Please review.**

**Thanks -Artjuice-**


	2. Metamorphosis

**I don't own Smallville or Supernatural. I hope you enjoy it. And can someone please review this time? This takes place in Supernatural series one, somewhere after Bugs but before the one where they meet back up with their dad.**

Metamorphosis

The absence of streetlights made the road dark. Sam blinked, trying to adjust his eyes.

He could make out the white 'Route 19' in a road sign and realised he knew where he was. After scrambling to his feet, he walked down the road, passing a sign that read 'Entering Smallville'.

He paused, wondering how he got there, his eyes widening as a bright light appeared at the end of the road. He shielded his eyes as the headlights drew closer. Sam watched as the car jolted, swerving out of control, speeding past Sam.

He swore, chasing after it, grimacing as it swerved along the road. It flew off the road and crashed, coming to a complete stop.

Sam reached the green car, peering through the cracked windscreen to see a teenage boy swatting at a swarm of insects surrounding.

Sam grabbed the door handle, trying to open it as the bugs began to glow a fluorescent green. The boy screamed, Sam pounding at the windows until the screams died and the road returned to darkness.

*

Sam jolted upwards, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

"I was going to wake you," came a female voice, and he rubbed his eyes. "Once you fell out of bed, I thought it you'd wake up soon enough."

Sam suddenly became aware of the hard floor underneath him and the pain shooting through his body. He stood up, stretching as he shooed Chloe out his room.

Chloe rushed down the stairs and placed some bread into the toaster for her and Sam. She slumped in the chair next to Dean, leaning her elbows on the table.

"He was having a nightmare." she told Dean, who grimaced. "Maybe he should get a dream diary."

Dean chuckled. "I hope it's not too bad a nightmare." he indicated the duffle bag by his feet. "We're going. I decided we're not likely to find a case in such a small town as this, so we're going somewhere bigger."

"Like Metropolis?"

Gabe entered the room. "I told you." he sighed, joining them at the table. "We get the same newspapers as Metropolis. Stay here for a while. You're just looking for a case when there aren't any because you want to find your father."

Chloe lifted her head off the table. "Your dad's missing?"

They ignored her. "Just stay until he sends you some co-ordinates." Gabe told him. Dean opened his mouth to respond but Sam's voice came from the stairs.

"Good idea." Sam entered the kitchen. "Thanks for the offer Gabe."

"What was your nightmare about?" Chloe asked and Sam winced.

"Someone on Route 19 crashed into a tree and was attacked by bugs. I couldn't save him."

Chloe flinched at the description. "Sounds freaky."

"Insects again?" Dean frowned. "I guess we're staying in Smallville after all."

Chloe stared in confusion as Sam moved his gaze up to her.

"Do you know if there are any Burial Grounds around here?" he asked.

"You realise this was a dream?" she sighed at his curious look. "Not off the top of my head." she admitted. "I'd help but I promised Mrs Kent I'd help at the farmer's market so I have to go."

"We'll come too." Dean grabbed the keys to the Impala as Chloe and Sam buttered their toast. "We could asked around, see if it's another curse."

Chloe laughed, following the men to the car and waving goodbye to her father.

As Dean drove out of Smallville, Sam turned to face Chloe in the back seat to ask her about Smallville's history.

"There's not Native American reservation nearby." she admitted, and Sam caught Dean's eye. "I don't know if they have any sites that close to Smallville though."

Dean pulled up next to a large truck before getting out the car. Chloe joined him, catching someone's eye and waving, before running away from the brothers. The brothers watched as she talked with an older red-haired woman, Clark Kent hovering by her shoulder.

As Dean and Sam approached, they watched as Clark Kent tapped her shoulder and she jumped, turning to him worriedly.

"Are you alright?" she asked, referring to a scarecrow incident that happened the previous day. Clark began to speak but was ushered away by his father. The red-headed woman passed Chloe an apple as the brothers reached them.

Sam held out his hand. "You must be Mrs Kent." he said. "I'm Sam Winchester, Mr Sullivan's godson." he lied as Chloe started to set out the stall.

Dean introduced himself as Pete arrived; gravitating towards Chloe and helping her set the crates out. She chatted with him loudly, the brothers still watching her as she lifted the heavy boxes. Suddenly she paused, eyes scanning the crowd.

"All hail the homecoming King and Queen." she teased, smiling at Clark's anxious face when he noticed a couple towards them. Dean eyed the dark-haired girl, her boyfriend's arm slung around her waist.

"Girls were not this pretty when I was at high school." he whispered to Sam as the girl came over to the Kent's stall.

"Where were you last night?" she asked Clark, and her boyfriend's grip tightened.

"Well I was a little…tied up." he answered, and Chloe laughed. The jock glared at her, turning to speak to Clark.

Dean scanned the market, noticing how busy it was and grabbed Sam's arm. "It's busy. If we want answers…." Sam nodded and they moved away from the stall, almost bumping into a dark-haired boy.

Chloe caught sight of the boy and put down her crate, walking quickly towards him. She frowned as she took in his appearance. The boy, who was once spotty, had clear skin and dark, angry eyes. His baggy clothes were replaced with a black outfit. He looked her up and down before trying to stride past her, but she caught his arm.

"Greg." His eyes snapped to hers and he tilted his head to the left threateningly. She gulped. "I need that article you promised to write. You know, on the stick insect?"

"I'm busy." he snarled, stepping away from Chloe and fixing his gaze on Lana, who was examining a display of glass butterflies. Chloe sighed, but spotted Sam slouched on a bench. She walked over to join him, smiling as Dean sat down with him as well.

"Find anything?" Dean shook his head. "Well you can't have asked everyone, you've only been asking for five minutes."

"We've asked a lot of people." Sam sighed in frustration and Chloe frowned.

"And you've probably missed the one person who knew anything." An old man joined them on the bench and Chloe turned to him. "Excuse me sir?" Chloe captured the man's attention. "Do you happen to know anything about any nearby Native American Burial sites?"

The man chuckled. "No one here does. Joseph Willowbrook will though but he lives all the way in Granville."

Chloe shot the brothers a triumphant grin and thanked the man. "Let's go." she sighed. "I'm no longer needed; the Kent's seem to believe _Clark _has it under control, and Greg's acting really weird."

Dean smirked, already walking back to the car.

*

At 10:30 the next morning, Sam untangled himself from the sheets, quickly pulled on his clothes and shook Dean awake.

"Hurry up, Dean." he grumbled as Dean slowly sat up. "Chloe's at school, Gabe's at work and we should be at Granville."

By the time Dean was ready; Sam had stolen the keys and was lounging in the Impala, playing music that was definitely not to Dean's taste through the stereo. Dean winced at the noise as he climbed into the car, passing Sam the map and changing the tape.

Metallica was the only noise for the entire journey, Dean nodding along as Sam sleepily followed the map.

Dean pulled over, getting out the car. "Come on Sammy."

Sam groaned but got out, examining the small town, turning to an old woman.

"Excuse me, but do you know where a Joseph Willowbrook is?"

She smiled a toothless grin, before pointing at a white house towards the end of the street. As Sam thanked her, Dean was already walking over.

A middle-aged man opened the door as Dean rang the doorbell, making Dean's eyes widen in shock.

"Are you Joseph?" he asked and the man nodded. "We're joining Central Kansas next term, going to be studying the importance of burial grounds within Native American culture." Dean lied smoothly. "We were told we should speak to you."

Joseph chuckled, inviting them into his front room and offering them seats. He sat opposite them, removing his hat.

"I wasn't aware they studied that at Central Kansas and I'm a professor there."

Dean grimaced, but Sam smiled and replied. "It's a new course."

"I'm no expert." Joseph smiled. "I'm an expert in languages and prehistoric cave-paintings." He watched the brother's facial expressions as they frowned. "But, due to my research about an old set of caves believed to be in Smallville, I do know where a burial site is."

He withdrew a map from underneath the coffee table and spread it out, small X's scattered around the map.

"The X's are the possible cave locations." he explained, before pointing to a printed star. "Here's an ancient site, but the Native Americans no longer protect it. As you can see, it's a site of historical importance but it's available for public viewing. It's called the slumbering place."

Dean leant closer, eyes scanning the map. "Do you think there's a curse for trespassers or vandals?"

Joseph chuckled again. "No curse." his eyes flickered to a picture on his mantelpiece. "My granddaughter visits it often but she says there are not many other visitors except one boy."

"Does she say why he visits?" Sam asked, Dean's eyes lingering on the picture

"He collects insects, she says."

"Could we visit?"

"You don't need to ask, just pay the entrance fee." Joseph stood up, as did the brothers.

"Thanks." Sam and Dean left, passing the smiling old woman on the way back to the car.

"Let's check it out." Dean planned. "See if there are any disturbed graves, unhappy spirits, you know…"

Sam nodded.

*

Chloe got off the school bus, waving to Clark and Pete while fumbling in her bag for the keys. She unlocked the door, dumped her bag and walked into the living room.

Her mouth dropped at the numerous weapons spread around the room. Dean was sorting through them while Sam was examining a map.

"Joining the army?" she asked as Sam straightened up, turning to look at her. He shook his head.

"We're investigating something." he told her. "Visiting an ancient burial yard."

Chloe smiled in excitement. "I'm coming too." she announced, quickly running upstairs to fetch her camera. Dean packed up the weapons and Sam folded up the map.

Dean pushed the bag into the backseat before sitting in the driver's seat. Sam joined him and Dean started the engine.

Chloe locked the door, running to the car and jumping into the backseat before he could drive off. Dean groaned but Chloe ignored him, watching through the windows as they drove past fields of corn.

"Did you know Clark saved Whitney's life yesterday?" she grinned, but Sam ignored her, running his finger along the map until Dean pulled into a small parking lot.

It was dark so Dean grabbed a torch, passing it to Chloe. Sam seized another, and they left the car. Chloe pushed open the gate, hearing the buzz of insects surrounding the three of them.

"It's very public." Sam whispered. "I doubt there's a curse attached. Smallville would know if there was."

Chloe turned to the brothers, standing between two burial mounds. "What are we looking for?"

"A reason for a swarm of insects to attack someone." Sam told her. "It could be a curse. We have experience with this sort of thing."

"Maybe someone irritated them." she said, sitting down on a large altar in the centre of the site. "Bees only sting when angry." The two men ignored her, moving deeper into the burial ground, looking for signs of disturbance. "There haven't even been any reports of a bug attack."

She stood up in order to follow them as they moved deeper into the darkness, avoiding the tombs. The buzzing grew louder. Chloe's foot caught on something and her ankle twisted. She cursed quietly, falling over. She reached for the object, feeling a familiar rough surface as she wrapped her hand round it. She used her torch to illuminate it.

"Meteor rock." she stated and slowly stood up, trying not to put pressure on her ankle. She shone the round, catching glimpses of green that she hadn't seen before. She called out for the brothers. "Look!" she held the rock out. "This place must have been hit during the meteor shower."

They continued to ignore her, still searching for evidence. When they had searched the entire place, Sam sighed.

"There's nothing here." he groaned, turning back and returning to the entrance.

The three clambered back into the car and Dean started the engine, going back to the main road.

"What could it be?" Sam wondered aloud as the Impala entered Smallville.

*

The doorbell rang through the house early the next morning. Fortunately, Sam and Dean were already awake and sitting in the living room.

Chloe, however, woke with a start, stumbling down the stairs. Her hair was askew and her pyjamas were still on. She opened the door, blushing as she saw Clark. He smiled weakly at her.

"Clark!" she gasped. "Who wakes up at this time in the morning?"

Clark chuckled. "Someone who lives on a farm."

"Just wait a bit, alright?" she told him. "Sit in the living room."

She darted back upstairs and Clark walked into the living room, eyes widening when he saw Sam and Dean. "Are you supposed to be here?" he asked.

"Yes. We're Gabe's godsons. We're staying here for awhile." Sam smiled at the younger boy. Clark held out a hand, quickly trusting him. Sam took it firmly. "How long have you known Chloe?"

"Since eighth grade." Clark answered quickly.

"We've known her since she was born." Sam lied and Dean chuckled at the confused look on Clark's face.

"She's never mentioned you." he said slowly, releasing Sam's hand and turning to Dean. Dean didn't take it so Clark dropped it, standing there awkwardly until Chloe returned.

"I'm glad you came." she said, glancing at the three boys. "And I see you've met Sam and Dean." Clark smiled slowly. "I have the whole interview planned out. I even have my headline – Clark Kent, man or superman."

Clark looked surprised, having clearly forgotten about the interview.

"You forgot." Chloe stated. "Then why did you come?"

"Is Greg still the science reporter for the Torch?" he asked, finally sitting down. Chloe joined him, sitting opposite the brothers.

"If you mean handing in articles, then no." her eyebrows furrowed. Sam and Dean watched them in interest. "He hasn't come in for about a week."

Clark grimaced.

"Why the sudden interest?" she continued. "Are you coming out the entomology closet?

Clark moved away from Chloe, remembering that the brothers were watching them closely.

"It's nothing."

"I hate it when you do that." Chloe whispered and her grin faded. She looked down as Clark's stare flicked anxiously between the Winchester's and the top of her head. "When you shut me out." her voice was growing quieter and Sam and Dean were straining their ears to hear what she was saying. Clark looked awkward and worried. "You're not outgrowing me as a friend, are you?"

Clark smiled in relief. "I could never outgrow you." Chloe looked hopeful and moved closer to Clark. "Other than vertically."

She swatted his arm. "That Kent charm will get you anywhere." she mumbled, but her voice suddenly got louder. "So what's this about Greg?"

After one quick glance at Dean, he said nothing. Chloe giggled.

"They're weirder than me, so you can tell me anything in front of them."

Clark nodded, not smiling.

"Greg attacked me last night in my barn." he said. "We thought he'd come from nowhere but when we checked, he'd been walking on the ceiling." Chloe's jaw dropped but Sam and Dean weren't affected. "It was like he was a bug."

Chloe jumped up and turned on the computer, tapping her leg as they waited for it to load. They sat in silence for about half an hour, the only noise being the occasional whirring of the printer.

Chloe stood back up, a wad of paper now in her hand. She sat back next to Clark, smiling slightly.

"I found an article about tribesmen who took on the traits of insects they were bitten by," she showed Clark the article while Sam and Dean listened carefully. "But nothing as extreme as Greg."

Clark sighed. "Greg came after the meteor shower so it can't have been exposure to the blast."

The brothers chuckled at the fact that Clark believed the meteor theory, but Chloe remembered the visit to the burial site.

Her eyes widened. "But bugs all over Smallville might be. The whole habitat of Smallville is infected. What's to say the bugs aren't too?"

Sam nodded, Dean and Clark still confused. "So if… Greg collected bugs from an infected habitat, such as the burial site, the bugs would be infected."

Dean grinned in understanding, and Chloe raised an eyebrow.

"So you believe the meteor theory now?" Chloe grinned in amusement. "No more ghosts and curses?"

"They're a lot more real than you think." Dean pointed out.

Clark suddenly spoke again. "People get bitten all the time by mosquitoes. How come Smallville isn't full of bug people?"

Sam started to rethink his idea while Dean grumbled that it was a different curse affecting the boy. Chloe and Clark however, slowly reread the article.

"You need a certain amount of toxins." Chloe said slowly. "The tribesmen who got the traits were attacked by swarms."

"Greg kept tanks in his room." Clark added.

"So say, Greg was driving and he crashed and his bug tanks opened…" Sam trailed off.

"The insects would revolt." Chloe smiled. "So boy catches bugs, bugs bite boy and you get bugboy." They settled back into silence, Chloe's eyes skimming the article on final time. "But bugs have a short lifecycle so let's hope he hasn't reached the mating phase."

Clark stood up. "We should visit his house." Chloe stood up, the Winchesters moving to join them but Clark frowned. "Chloe and I will go. I'll protect her if he's there."

Chloe smiled weakly, her eyes conveying her nerves. "I know you will," she grinned. "But I'm still calling Pete."

*

Greg's house was small, the white door surrounded by two window. Chloe peered through them, trying to see into the house.

"It's really messy in there." she told Clark and Pete, moving back to watch them peer through the translucent glass.

As Clark tried the door, Pete shook his head in disbelief, peeping through the keyhole.

"His mom's a neat freak. She told us off when we didn't take off our shoes." Pete remembered. "We used to be his friend."

"Is that why you stopped being his friend?" Chloe continued to examine the outside of the house.

"No." Pete laughed. "When his dad left, he stopped talking to us." He gave up searching, leaning on the panelled walls of the house. "I remember he had a killer tree fort, but Clark always got sick. It was too _high _for him."

Clark grumbled in protest. "I was not afraid of heights."

Chloe ignored the argument between the boys, trying another window. It shook when she pressed on it and Chloe found she was able to slide it open. She called Clark over before climbing through the window into the cream-coloured hallway. The boys followed suit.

It was boiling hot. Chloe quickly took off her jacket, tucking it under her arm, using her other arm to hold her camera. Pete moved into the living room, examining the thermostat.

"Its hot." he exhaled, turning the temperature down and then turning to follow Chloe and Clark up the stairs.

Dark handprints were spread over the cream wallpaper, as if someone had been thrashing up the stairs. Chloe had taken pictures of every inch of wall, holding the developing pictures in her other hand.

At the top of the stairs they turned left, walking into the bathroom.

"Gross…" Pete was standing by the shower. Chloe rushed to join him, paling at the sight of skin lying at the plughole.

"I guess he's shed his skin." she choked out, taking more pictures as quickly as possible before rushing out, leaving Clark and Pete to further examine the room.

She opened the door to another room, gagging as she saw cobwebs filling what was probably Greg's room. As she moved further in, she heard a soft voice and she looked up.

Chloe had found the only thing not covered by cobwebs.

She frowned as Lana and Whitney faded from the television screen. However, another video soon started, with Lana as the star once again.

"Guys…" she yelled, her voice trembling and they ran in, their stares snapping to the television screen.

"Guess you're not the only one in Smallville with a crush on Lana." Pete muttered.

"Looks like he's found his mate." Chloe whispered. Clark's gaze widened, his eyes flickering nervously around the room. His stare fixed on a large mound of cobwebs in the farthest corner of the room. Chloe watched as he approached it. His fingers gingerly tore at the thin thread, breaking them apart.

A gaunt, white, dead woman fell forward and they froze in shock, Chloe snapping a picture.

"Lana!" Clark yelled, running out the room and down the steps, the other two following him. "I have to warn her."

When Pete and Chloe reached the bottom of the stairs, he had vanished.

They shot confused looks at one another before running to Pete's car.

"Where do you think Greg will be?" Chloe asked as they sped down the road.

"Probably his tree house, near the Creekside Foundry." Pete answered.

"High school is a constant state of metamorphosis." Chloe sighed. "Just be careful what you turn into."

Pete had already pulled up by her house.

She leapt out the car and ran inside, slamming the door shut. The brothers saw her pale face and ran over, and she weakly held out the photos.

"Bugboy." she breathed, pointing to three pictures. "He's fed, shed and now he's found his mate."

As Dean found a shotgun, Sam turned to Chloe. "Where will he be?"

"Pete said at the tree house, near the Creekside Foundry."

Sam and Dean were already halfway out the door.

*

The Winchesters leapt out of the Impala, guns clenched in their hands.

"I'll go to foundry, you check the tree house." Sam told Dean, running over to the fence surrounding the factory. Dean sighed in agreement, climbing up the ladder as Sam started to go up the fence.

There were cobwebs, but Greg wasn't there. Dean put his gun down and reached for the web, pulling it apart quickly. His eyes widened as Lana Lang took in a deep breath.

Still breathing heavily, she looked up at Dean, who grinned at her.

"You're welcome." he said, grabbing the shotgun and moving to leave the fort.

"You're just going to leave me?" she gasped, eyes filling with tears.

"You're going to leave her?"

Dean turned round at the new voice, spotting the jock, Lana's boyfriend.

"Yeah, you're here now." Dean said, starting to go down the ladder. Lana disentangled herself from the cobwebs and threw herself into Whitney's arms, sobbing.

Meanwhile, Sam was running into the foundry. He drew to a halt when he saw Greg fly through the large hall, hitting his head off a tall metal column.

Sam sighed, stepping with his gun out. He readied it, pointing at the bugboy. This alerted Greg, who turned his head quickly and made to get up, grabbing a lever with one hand.

Chains started to move and Sam dropped his gun in shock as Clark Kent appeared, yelling "Watch Out!"

Sam's eyes snapped to him as the metal tank dropped from the ceiling, landing on Greg. Sam turned back, wincing as millions of bugs scuttled out from under the tank.

"Disgusting." Sam grimaced, turning back to Clark but he was gone.

Sam left the foundry, meeting Dean halfway back to the fence.

"Did you see Clark?"

Dean shook his head and Sam frowned in confusion.

"Did you get bugboy?" Dean asked.

"He got squashed."

The brothers heaved themselves over the fence, going to the Impala and opening it. Dean started the ignition, leaving the fort and returning to the main road.

Sam flicked open his phone, typed in Chloe's number and pressed 'Call'.

*

"Done" Chloe exclaimed, showing Sam and Dean a large front page spread.

A picture of Clark was emblazoned across a quarter of the large sheet of paper. The headline 'Clark Kent – man or superman' ran across the top.

Dean chuckled. "So you finally got that interview you've been waiting for. Did he mention Bugboy?"

Sam skimmed through the article, shaking his head in answer to the question.

"Not believable." she chuckled. "He wouldn't speak about it. I thought about asking Lana but I doubt she'd want to talk about being kidnapped by bug boy."

Sam and Dean smiled.

"I guess I could have interviewed you though." she continued, gazing at Sam. "I mean, we wouldn't have worked it out without Sam and his sixth sense."

She stood up, article clutched tightly in her hand, oblivious as Sam watched her leave.

* * *

**I've nearly written out the next chapter. Thanks for reading**


	3. Hothead

**Here's the next chapter. Thanks for favouriting it and adding it to your alerts. I've decided to change the ages of Sam and Dean (so they're two years younger than they are in season 1) so Sam is 20 and Dean is 24. Sam's still been to Stanford and been with Jessica so ages is the only thing that's changed.**

**I do not own Smallville or Supernatural.**

Hothead

The lights lit up the rain as it fell onto the tarmac and astro-turf.

Sam's hair lay, flattened on his forehead as he watched the high-school football game with mild interest. Gabe Sullivan, who was next to Sam, followed the ball with his eyes. Sam's brother, to his other side, was watching the cheerleaders.

Chloe, her usually styled hair lying against her cheeks, was next to Dean, her hands sheltering her camera from the rain. She followed the game, joining in the cries of "Go Crows!" from their side of the stadium, as the Quarterback scored a touchdown, putting the score to 20-24.

"That Whitney Fordman's something." Gabe chuckled. "He'll go far."

Sam nodded, having no idea who Whitney was.

Dean finally removed his stare from the cheerleaders as the Smallville team's play failed.

While most of the spectators groaned in disappointment, Chloe watched as the coach stomped onto the field and pulled Whitney aside.

The Quarterback seemed to be protesting until the coach grabbed his helmet, pulling him harshly down. Chloe raised the camera, zooming in and taking a photo.

As she buried the camera in her bag, the game resumed for the final few minutes. Whitney chucked the ball down the field. The whole stadium held their breath as the player ran down the field, scoring a touchdown and putting the score up to 26-24 as the time ran out.

The Smallville side erupted in cheers, Chloe already getting up to leave. She led her father and the Winchesters out the school to the car park.

"Found a new case yet?" she joked, as Dean unlocked the Impala.

"No, sorry." It was Sam had who had replied, standing close to Chloe.

"You've been here for a month."

Gabe looked up from his rearseat. "That's a good point Chloe." he said, turning to face the brothers. "Chloe will show you around Smallville. After all, you've been here a month and there's no sign of any supernatural activity anywhere. It looks like you're staying so it'd be good to at least know where the coffee shop is."

Chloe grinned at Sam, pushing him into the front seat of the car.

"Alright." she agreed, closing the door. Sam rolled the window down. "now, I've got an article to write. See you later."

Dean rolled his eyes but started the engine as Chloe turned back into the school.

*

The next morning, Gabe gave Dean the job of waking Chloe up.

"After a night at the torch, she often takes hours to get to sleep." he had said. "Caffeine, you know."

Dean had nodded and gone up the stairs, knocking on Chloe's door, only to be grumbled at. Annoyed, he slowly pushed the door open but Chloe was sitting up and smiling.

"Get out!" she said. "I need to get dressed."

Dean closed the door, returning back down the stairs, seeing the school bus arrive at the Sullivan household.

Gabe sighed in exasperation as the bus left as Chloe came down the stairs. She cursed quietly before turning to the brothers.

"Will you take me to school?" she asked, and Sam nodded. "Dad has work in the other direction."

Gabe smiled. "Have fun at school."

He left the house and drove away. Dean grabbed his keys, indicating that Chloe should hurry up. He and Sam sat in the front and Chloe sat in the back.

Dean inserted 'Iron Maiden' into the tape player and it blasted through the car as they navigated the streets of Smallville. They pulled up in front of the school, the loud music catching the attention of everyone. Chloe got out, grinning when Pete came over.

"Good music." he said to Dean, who was unable to hear him so he paused the music and rolled down the window. Pete turned to Chloe. "Morning."

"Morning." she chirped.

"Have you heard?" Pete sounded amused, oblivious to the fact that Sam and Dean were listening. "About the cheating jocks."

Chloe's eyes widened comically and she leant against the Impala. "How come I _don't _know about it?"

Pete ignored her. "They cheated on the maths midterm and Kwan's suspending them from the team."

She giggled as Clark Kent joined them. Dean frowned at the group of them leaning on his car. Clark was holding the day's edition of the Torch. he was about to hand it to her when her phone vibrated. She picked it up, reading the text, frowning and putting it back in her pocket, looking back at Clark expectantly.

Clark unfolded the Torch and read the headline aloud. "Football: Sports of Abuse?" Dean chuckled and Chloe grinned widely. "You seriously need to decrease your cappuccino dependency."

Pete snatched the article from Clark, quickly reading it and frowning.

"You're being too hard on Coach Walt." his eyes flicked to the picture of the coach and Whitney. "He coached my dad. It's going to be his 200th game next Friday."

"So?" asked Chloe.

"He used to come over for the superbowl."

"Now, while that is a touching thought, you don't get points for subtlety in journalism." She withdrew her phone from her pocket, holding it up happily. "I'm already getting hate mail.""

Sam leaned over to the open window, grinning. "And that makes you happy?"

She jumped, turning back to the car when she realised they were still there. Clark grinned weakly at them in greeting.

"It means I'm hitting a nerve." she explained. "And judging by the poor sentence structure and obscenities…"

She shot a look at the jocks and Pete laughed. "Don't think my teammates read the torch."

Chloe sighed, looking at the brothers and waving to them. They pulled away from the school as Chloe approached the entrance.

Once there, Chloe stopped when she saw Lana and Whitney arguing. Exchanging glances with Pete, they watched as Lana strode angrily away. While Clark watched her leave, Whitney sat down, running his hands through his hair.

"That's not something you see every day." she laughed. "A pom-pom meltdown." As she spoke, several jocks walked slowly over to Whitney, Coach Walt joining them. She pulled her camera out, grinning even wider. "I need a picture of the cheating jockstraps."

The camera clicked and one jock looked up from the huddle. He spotted Chloe and frowned, pointing her out to the coach. The coach grimaced, muttered an order and the jock shot the football towards Chloe's face.

It all happened very fast. The ball came closer and closer to her face but, inches away from her nose, Clark's hand shot out, grabbing the ball. The camera shook in Chloe's hands.

"Nice Catch."

Clark grinned at Pete's praise, bringing the ball closer to his chest, oblivious to Coach's appraising look.

"One of your teammates tries to assassinate me," Chloe said, angry. "And all you can say is _nice catch_!"

She made to turn round but Pete grabbed her arm. "I thought you wanted to hit a nerve."

She frowned, stomping into the school as Clark threw the ball back to the jocks.

*

Having been unable to lose Pete and Clark, Chloe and the boys stopped near a vending machine, Pete still attempting to apologise.

She ignored him, watching closely as Coach Walt strode up the corridor and stopped next to them.

"Kent." he said, sizing Clark up in a quick glance,. "I saw your arm. You've got a lousy technique but you're powerful."

He shot an angry look at Chloe and she smiled innocently as Clark realised what the coach was implying.

"Sorry." Clark said. "I can't. I'm needed on the farm."

The coach rolled his eyes and stared at Clark more intently. "You're needed on the team."

"My dad's stubborn."

"Your dad was once on the team. He had a god-given talent." The Coach looked at Clark. "It's in your genes."

"Actually, I'm adopted."

Chloe couldn't help laughing, ignoring the Coach's murderous glares.

"It's your chance to be part of something special." the Coach growled. "Suit up." Clark shook his head. "Look at Ross here; he has no talent but a truckload of heart."

If the Coach had meant to encourage Clark, it hadn't worked. Clark looked annoyed at his friends expense, and Chloe was laughing harder.

"I'll think about it."

The Coach groaned in frustration and looked round the corridor, spotting Whitney by his locker and calling him over. He came over, his arm slung around Lana, who was dressed in her cheerleading uniform and smiling at Clark.

"How d'you think Clark would do on the team?"

Clark sighed quietly, staring at Lana as Whitney sized him up.

"Alright." Whitney answered.

Coach Walt noticed Clark's stare, which was still directed at Lana. Chloe saw him smile maliciously. "He seems afraid."

Lana looked at Clark in shock, before smiling at him and starting to speak. "That's not the reason, is it Clark?"

"My dad…" Clark protested weakly.

The Coach took in a deep breath, stepping in front of Lana to block her from Clark's view. "Kent." He said harshly. "It's time for you to step out of your father's shadow and be your own man."

Chloe watched as Clark finally fell for it, his eyes still locked where Lana's eyes should be. "Alright. I'll do it."

"See you at practice." Whitney said, smiling at Clark before leaving with the coach, Lana held tightly against him.

Pete finally grinned. "What did your dad say when you asked to be on the team?" he teased.

"No." Clark said slowly, looking up.

"I thought so."

Pete laughed and Chloe stepped into the middle of the two boys, joining the laughter.

However, Chloe still found herself at the stadium at three, waving goodbye to Clark as he left, excited for practice.

*

The next evening, Gabe remembered that Chloe had promised to show Dean and Sam around and then reminded the brothers. This meant that when Chloe returned home, they were waiting expectantly in the living room.

"Dad, did you hear?"

That was how Chloe greeted them, slumping into a spare armchair.

"Principal Kwan's car exploded yesterday." she explained. "He was inside it."

"Is he alright?" Sam spoke up, shocked.

"Yeah, he will be. Clark saved him."

"Of course." Dean said, exasperated and Chloe grinned.

"He stuffed his hands in his jacket to pull him out." she smiled wider. "Kwan will be in hospital over the weekend but, because of Clark, he only suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation.

"Do you know what caused it?" Sam asked, hoping for a supernatural case.

"Pete and Clark were there and they said the fire started inside the car." she frowned. "Pete went to call 911 but when he got back, Clark had saved Kwan and the car had exploded." She looked down at her watch, standing back up. "I'm meeting them to discuss it further at the coffee shop."

Gabe smiled. "Perfect." he said. "I was going to ask you to take Sam and Dean there anyway."

Chloe sighed, but nodded, telling them to leave immediately. Dean sat in the driver's seat and Chloe joined him in the front, Sam sitting behind her.

They drove through Smallville, Chloe directing them, to the busy coffee shop.

Clark and Pete were waiting for her, and frowned when they saw she had brought the brothers. She shrugged apologetically, immediately launching into conversation, clearly having been desperate to say something since she had heard about the Principal.

"It doesn't make any sense." she said quietly, the four males listening carefully. "Cars don't spontaneously combust."

Sam and Dean nodded, and then she suddenly grinned widely. "I've already got my headline." her voice was louder. "Jockstrap saves Principal from burning car."

Pete frowned while Clark and the brothers laughed. "Lay off the jockstrap thing."

Clark laughed harder, and Chloe turned to look at him. "I still can't believe Clark Kent's been blinded by the Friday Night light's!"

She grinned at Clark before linking her arm with his as they pushed into the brightly lit café. Dean and Sam watched as she interacted with the two boys.

"I joined a football team, not a cult." Clark protested, chuckling.

The Winchesters pushed past the three freshmen to find a large table. Chloe didn't notice them go ahead and she continued to talk to the boys.

"Next thing you know, I'll be joining the pom-pom parade."

They all started to chortle until Lana's voice cut through the laughter. "I hear there's a spot open."

This cut the laughter short. Chloe turned to look at the girl, who was dressed in an apron and holding a circular tray.

"Lana!" Clark gasped, looking into her eyes as he often did when he was near her. "What are you doing here?"

"Taking your order, I hope."

Chloe gaped at her, staring at the apron closely. "What is this?" she questioned. "Some sort of cheerleading charity waitressing just for night sort of thing?"

Lana giggled at Chloe's questioning, moving towards the brothers table as she cleared some mugs away. "Sort of, except for the cheerleading and charity bit."

Chloe gasped and Clark's eyes widened. "You're a waitress for real."

Lana laughed and Clark blushed. "I even have the nametag to prove it."

"This your first day?" Pete asked.

"Ever."

Pete and Chloe stood there awkwardly as Clark peered at Lana.

"Where's your necklace?" he asked.

"Strict dress code." Lana giggled. "No jewellery or open toed shoes."

"Very waitress like."

Lana turned back, looking, irritated, at the coffee machine. "If only I could tell the difference between a half-caf decaf and a non-fat latte."

Chloe chuckled. "One regular coffee then." she ordered.

"Times 5." Pete added, before leading Chloe over to the brothers. Clark stayed back, talking to Lana.

Chloe sat opposite Sam and shook her head in disbelief. "Clark Kent is a football player and Lana Lang is a waitress."

Sam looked at her in confusion as Pete asked the question Sam had wanted ask. "What's wrong with that?"

Chloe laughed, lowering her voice so Clark and Lana wouldn't hear. Dean and Sam leant closer. "Nothing." she answered, innocently. "I just want to click my heels and get back to reality."

They laughed again. But Chloe's interest was diverted when a jock entered, walking past Clark to sit with six of the cheaters. He whispered to them and they stood up, slouching over the coffee shop. Sam watched as her eyes flicked between them, figuring something out.

She turned to Pete, catching Sam's eye as she did so and grinning at him. "What's up with your fallen brethren?"

Pete shrugged, turning to watch the final jock leave. Chloe stood up, grabbing her bag. Dean and Sam watched, wide-eyed as she pushed past Pete's chair and stood at the end of the table.

"Sorry I have to leave you but I'm sure you can get home by yourself." she grinned apologetically at the brother's protests. "See you later."

She ran off, knocking into Clark as he finally headed for the table. He looked startled, reaching out to grab her arm. She dodged his hand, before speaking quickly. "Relax. I'll see you tomorrow."

And then she was outside. She turned towards the school, seeing the jocks ahead, illuminated by streetlights. Chloe followed at a distance, keeping out of sight. Her bag repeatedly hit her leg lightly with each stride, her camera weighing down on her shoulder.

When they arrived at the stadium, Chloe knelt behind a fence, able to hear what the boys were saying.

Coach Walt strode onto the field, yelling for the boys to line up. They acted quickly, standing between sprinklers.

"Congratulations." the Coach hissed. "I've never seen a group of men display such stupidity."

Chloe's jaw dropped and she reached for her notepad to write down what he was saying. However, he walked away, just out of Chloe's hearing range. Groaning, she put it away. When she looked up, Trevor, a junior, was standing forward. The coach had turned on him, and Chloe could see the vicious expression on the older man's face.

Then he lunged, punching Trevor in the face as the sprinkler's emitted a burst of flames instead of water. The jocks stood still with fear. As the Coach walked closer to Chloe, she raised her camera.

"Nothing shall stand between me and winning this game!" he yelled. "Understand?!"

Chloe pressed the button, an image of the flaming sprinklers appearing on the digital screen. She took a few more before turning and running from the stadium, eyes wide in shock.

*

The following evening, Gabe sat with the brothers, leafing through that day's paper in order to find any hunts for the brothers to go on.

They had been doing that all day and Gabe was getting sick of it. With a large sigh, he caught their attention before gathering up the papers. He ignored their protests, instead pulling on his jacket and grabbing his car keys.

"We're having no luck. Come on; let's go meet Chloe at the pep rally."

Sam looked up. "A pep rally?" he grimaced. "I never liked them."

Dean grinned. "There'll be cheerleaders, right?" Gabe nodded hesitantly and Dean stood up, grabbing his leather jacket. "Come on, Sammy."

Sam frowned. "These cheerleaders are in high school, you're twenty-four."

Dean discarded that comment, leading Sam through to Gabe's car.

By the time they reached Smallville High, the bonfire was lit and the cheerleaders were halfway through their routine. Gabe led them through the crowd, clearly having spotted Chloe on the other side.

She grinned at them in greeting, latching herself to Sam's side as everyone watched the cheerleaders, Clark looking depressed as he realised Lana wasn't there.

Chloe sniggered as she realised Sam towered over her and he looked down, smiling. Dean watched them, amused, as she reached for Sam's arm.

Sam froze as she pulled his arm over to her, reading the time from his watch. She dropped his hand, cursing as removed herself from the group and he relaxed.

"I've got an interview!" she explained, leaving them to watch the cheerleaders.

She weaved through the crowd, walking down to a small hallway in the stadium. Trevor was there, watching her angrily.

"What did you call me for?" he asked quietly.

"I want to know if Coach Walt's gave you the answer for the tests." she said, looking at him seriously.

"If you don't want to get hurt, just leave this alone."

Chloe grimaced, reaching to get her camera from her bag. "Look, we can do this now or later." she threatened. "Either way, this pictures going to be on the front page of tomorrow's edition."

She pressed a button, showing the flaming sprinklers to Trevor and he flinched, stepping quickly away from her in fear. "Stay away from me!" he yelled, running from Chloe.

She shook her head, annoyed, but began the walk to the Torch office, camera clutched tightly in her hand.

Meanwhile, Sam was ignoring Dean's teasing as he continued to mention Sam's earlier interactions with Chloe. He shrugged Dean aside, turning to ask Clark a question. "So, where's the Torch office?"

Clark grinned at them, pointing to a large window on the third floor of the school. His grin faded when he saw flames flickering against the window, Chloe pressed against them in terror.

Sam and Dean started, remembering the deaths of Jess and their mother, and hoping it wasn't the same guy. They watched, shocked, as Chloe turned round, opening the window and leaning out, waving her arms in desperation.

"Clark! Clark!" she yelled, turning back round to face the flames.

The brothers turned to where Clark was, but he had vanished. Cursing, they turned to Pete, demanding that he lead them to the Torch office. Pete nodded, leading them through the school corridors and up stairs to the office.

Clark and Chloe were locked in a tight hug, Chloe sobbing and her jacket on the floor, steaming. There was no fire.

They looked round in shock, as Chloe clung tighter to Clark. He smiled weakly. "Torch torched." he said. "How's that for dramatic irony?"

Chloe pulled herself out of his arms, spotting the other three for the first time. "Not funny." she sounded choked, surveying the remains of the paper. Sam moved quickly to her side, Dean sniggering as he put an arm round her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. "This was more than arson." she said, and they frowned in confusion. "It's like the fire knew what I was doing."

Sam and Dean exchanged a worried look, hoping that it hadn't been the demon and Clark had just frightened it away. Chloe was staring at Clark, trying to tell him something with her eyes.

"You believe Coach Walt is somehow able to control the fire?" Clark asked, and Pete turned to her, slightly angry.

She held up her hand to silence him. "Look at the facts." she looked down, embarrassed, unsure if Pete or the brother's would believe her. "Principal Kwan launches an investigation into the cheating scandal. Coach Walt tries to fry him in his car. And then, one of his players comes forward and he threatens them all with pyrotechnic sprinklers. I go to print that picture and the Torch goes into flames."

Clark believed her, pulling her away from Sam to look at the Wall of Weird. "And now you think he's involved with the cheating scandal?"

"Coach obsessed with winning 200th game helps bonehead players pass the test so he can secure his place in the pantheon of high school sports."

"Do you have another copy of the picture?"

"No. It's kind of hard to recover the files."

"We haven't got any proof."

Clark seemed resigned but Chloe straightened up. "Trevor Chapel."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure he's the one who talked to Kwan about the cheating. He wants to talk. I know it. But he's still scared to talk to me. But I think he might open up to you."

Clark nodded, leaving the office with Pete as Chloe collapsed onto a chair, tears filling her eyes. The brothers watched in concern, Dean scanning the room.

"What's this?" he asked, looking at the Wall of Weird and she burst into a wobbly smile.

"I call it the Wall of Weird." she answered, standing up and leading Sam over.

Sam read it with interest, remembering the similar articles they would find plastered over their father's walls when he was trying to solve cases.

"What's this? Man gains finger on left hand, loses one on right?" Sam asked.

"This wall shows every strange or mysterious that's happened since the meteor shower."

They turned to her, amazed. "No ghosts then?"

"Do you believe me yet?" she asked. "About how the meteors affect people?"

The brothers sighed, walking over to Chloe. "Come on," Sam said, smiling. "Let's get you home so the Coach can't attack you again."

She smiled at the fact they believed her, allowing them to escort her from the room.

*

The next Friday, Chloe found herself at home searching for a notebook only hours before the big game. Her father watched as she messed up the entire house in her search.

"I can't _not_ report on the biggest game of the season." she explained, enlisting Sam in her hunt. "And anyway, what else am I supposed to do at the game? Watch football?"

Dean laughed. "How about watching Clark Kent?"

"He'll be on the bench."

Dean grinned, getting up to join in the search. Just when Chloe had had enough, her phone rang and she ran to it, picking it up and mouthing 'It's Clark' to the brothers.

Dean shook his head in amusement, settling back down onto the couch.

"Clark!" Chloe grinned into the phone. "Did you speak with Trevor?" She paused, listening to what Clark had to say before frowning. "I can't believe it!" She gasped. "Yeah, I'll see you there."

She hung up, joining Dean on the sofa. "Clark said that Trevor was surrounded by fire extinguishers and the Coach had burnt his arm. The Coach definitely has some powers." she smiled, excited. "_And_ he provided the test answers."

"Where are you seeing Clark?" asked Sam, finding a notebook under a pile of papers in the hall.

She grinned widely, grabbing the notebook from him. "We're meeting him before the game. I'm not sure if he's going to play."

An hour later, they were in the Impala, driving to the game. The streets of Smallville were full of trucks heading towards the school so by the time they found a parking space, Chloe was telling them to hurry up.

They waited in the school corridor for Clark but he never came, so five minutes before the game started, they walked to the stadium. Chloe soon found herself squashed between Dean and Sam, while Dean chuckled at situation.

"Chloe!"

Chloe turned to the voice, smiling when she saw the Kent's coming to join them. "Hi Mr Kent, hi Mrs Kent." She waved them over and they sat next to Dean.

"Gabe's godson, right?" Mrs. Kent asked and Dean nodded. Chloe laughed quietly. Martha turned back to her. "Smallville's resident cynic have a change of heart?"

"I decided to put my personal politics aside to support my friend."

"Yes. We're trying the same philosophy."

Jonathan was scanning the pitch, before turning to Chloe with a frown. "Where's Clark?"

"I don't know." Chloe looked worried, turning to the brothers. "I was meant to meet him before the game but he didn't show. I thought he was with you guys."

Jonathan frowned, getting up and walking onto the pitch. Chloe followed him, grimacing when Pete said he hadn't seen him. Coach Walt approached them, glaring at Chloe before turning to Jonathan. Jonathan listened to him, clenched his fists and walked back.

"Nobody's seen him." he told her.

"I think the Coach is lying." Chloe said, Sam running up behind her.

"What's going on here Chloe?" Jonathan asked, leading her off the pitch. "I'll check the locker room and you check the school."

Chloe nodded, watching as Jonathan walked away.

"I'll go with you." Sam said, waving Dean over as Chloe led them back into the school. "I was never into football."

They walked through the school, checking everywhere – the Torch, the classrooms – but nothing. Chloe was wringing her hands in worry, especially when a loud crashing sound came from the locker room.

They froze, the brothers pulling guns out from under the jackets.

"Go back to the game, Chloe." Sam said, quietly. "We'll handle this."

"No." she said, stubborn. "I'm not missing out on something like this."

"We'll tell you everything." Dean said, pushing her in the direction of the pitch.

She frowned, but walked off as they headed to the locker room.

Sam and Dean stopped when they saw the coach fly through a glass window, landing on a wooden bench before falling to the floor. They hid behind some lockers, watching as Clark approached the coach, telling him he needed help.

The Coach stood up, snarling at the young boy. "What I need is to win this game."

Dean and Sam exchanged incredulous glances at the Coach's desperation.

"It's too late for that." Clark said calmly, coming closer to the coach.

They moved to allow themselves to see what was going on, guns held ready in case it got out of hand. The Coach took two deep breaths, closing his eyes and they watched in horror as flames sprung up around Clark, preventing him from moving any further.

Just as a smug grin spread across the Coach's face, Clark Kent walked through the fire. Sam almost dropped his gun in shock, eyes wide as the brothers gazed at the freshman.

"How did you do that?" stuttered the Coach, as Clark removed his burning jacket.

"It's in the genes." Clark smirked.

The Coach threw a punch at him, but Clark ducked, using one hand to throw the Coach across the room into the showers, oblivious to the spying Winchesters.

"Give it up Coach, you've lost." Clark shouted, and Dean and Sam backed towards the door.

In a burst of flames, the coach screamed in anger. The fire engulfed him and Clark winced as Dean and Sam ran out the locker room, thinking about what Clark could do.

*

"I guess the Friday Night Lights just weren't for you." Chloe stated, as Clark grinned weakly. "I mean, I could hear you screaming from here."

Clark blushed. "Well, we won. And we're only freshmen. If I want another chance, I've got three more years."

Chloe nodded. "Well, we have to go." she gestured behind to the brothers who were glaring at Clark. "Hope you had fun being attacked by Walts."

"Well, he had nothing on me. I'm not even scratched." The brothers exchanged glances. "I'm not even burnt. I guess he wasn't that strong in his old age."

"Not strong enough to beat a farmboy."

She turned back to the Impala, but the brothers stayed put.

"Do you need a lift home?" they asked. "Your parents have already left."

"I'll be fine." Clark answered quickly.

"It'll be a lot quicker if we drive you." Dean said but Clark snorted quietly. "Well?"

"I'm fine."

Sam raised an eyebrow, suspicious, but the brothers joined Chloe in the car.

"What was that about?" she asked.

"Offering him a lift home." Dean explained, turning around to look at the boy. But he'd vanished.

* * *

**And that's that chapter. Please review!**

**Yes, this is slight Chlam and Chlark, because it follows the first series. They're getting suspicious already! Of course, it will take a while to find out the Clark Kent is actually AN ALIEN!**

**Anyways…thanks for reading, and please review! Please! It has two favourites and 4 alerts and one review…**

**-Artjuice-**

* * *


	4. XRay

**I'd like to thank...GroundedSouls for reviewing**

**In the first few series of Smallville, Chloe doesn't have the biggest role. In such episodes, where her part in the story isn't significant, we're going to see the brother's head out on hunts, Chloe helping via the telephone, like an early version of Watchtower. So, for the first time, in the place of Smallville episode X-Ray, we have:**

Asylum

The Smallville Ledger lay open on the coffee table, Chloe Sullivan reading it intently.

"Lex Luthor robs bank." she read aloud. "Why would a billionaire rob a bank?"

The Winchester brothers ignored her, but Gabe looked round in shock. "I've seen some pretty strange things…" he said, going over to check Chloe wasn't joking. "But this beats them all."

At that sentence, Sam looked round, raising an eyebrow. "You really think that's weird? You know what Dean and I do?"

Gabe chuckled. "How much did he get away with?"

"100 000 dollars." Chloe sighed. "I wish I had 100 000 dollars." When no one responded, she grimaced, folded the paper away and moved to see what everyone else was doing. "What are you looking at?"

"Dad's journal." Dean answered, showing a heavy leather file to her. "We're trying to find where he is. No one's heard from him and I can't find anything in here." He chuckled. "I can't make anything out. He writes like Yoda."

"Maybe you should call someone." Chloe suggested, stealing the book and rifling through it. "File a missing persons report."

"Dad would be pissed if we set the Feds on him."

"I don't care anymore." Sam said, angrily as Dean's phone began to ring.

"Where the hell is my phone?"

As Dean looked round the room, Sam buried his face in his hands. "He could be dead for all we know."

"Don't say that." Chloe whispered.

Dean looked up, angry. "He's not dead." he said loudly. "He's…"

"He's what?" snarled Sam and Gabe groaned at the fury in his voice. "He's hiding? He's busy?"

Dean found his phone, and looked at it in disbelief. "42,69"

"What?" Sam asked, confused.

"I don't believe it. It's a text message. Its co-ordinates. "

Chloe grinned, excited, running to the computer. She started typing quickly, and the men gathered round her.

"You think Dad was texting us?" Sam asked.

"He's given us co-ordinates before."

"He can barely use a toaster."

"Yes, well, Chloe can barely use a toaster but look at her on a computer." Gabe said, chuckling as Chloe frowned at him.

"Sam, this is good news. It means he's okay or alive at least."

"Well, was there a number on the caller ID?" Chloe piped up, still typing furiously into the computer.

"No, it said unknown."

"Okay, well, where to the co-ordinates point?" Sam asked as Chloe pressed the 'Enter' key with a flourish.

"Rockford, Illinois." she answered. "I can check the local paper," She did that quickly, pulling up a recent article. "There's not much ." she continued scanning the article. "Oh, here's something. This cop, Walter Kelly, comes home from his shift, shoots his wife, puts the gun in his mouth and blows his brains out. Fellow police say it doesn't seem like he was unhappy and he would never have killed his wife"

She winced, as Dean quickly checked through his dad's journal, recognising the town's name, before reading through the article. "Look," he pointed to a sentence. "Earlier that night, Kelly and his partner responded to a call at the Roosevelt Asylum."

"I'm not following." Sam admitted. "What does this have to do with us?"

"Dad's marked the Asylum in his journal." He showed them an older article pinned to the page. "Here, several unconfirmed sightings, two deaths – til last week, at least. I think this is where he wants us to go."

"This is a job." Sam looked anxious. "Dad wants us to work a job."

"What do you work as?" Chloe asked, but they ignored her.

"Maybe we'll meet up with him." Dean grinned. "Maybe he's there."

"Maybe he's not."Sam sighed, pessimistic. "I mean, he could be sending us there by ourselves to hunt this thing."

Chloe raised an eyebrow, but didn't question it as Dean continued to talk, excited. "Who cares? If he wants us there, that's good enough for me."

"This doesn't strike you as weird?" asked Sam. "The texting? The co-ordinates?"

Gabe shook his head. "Your father's telling you to go somewhere. You're going."

Sam stared at him in disbelief. "What do you mean?"

"You're going to do this hunt and then when it's finished, you'll come back to Smallville." Gabe instructed and Dean nodded slowly. "If you need any help, call me or Chloe. I know quite a bit about the stuff you do, and Chloe can find anything given the right amount of time."

Chloe grinned in agreement. "I won't even ask questions." she lied, making them laugh. "Well, maybe I will but I'll help you no matter what. Hunting sounds more interesting than weird Lex Luthor."

Dean smiled at Chloe before leaving to pack their things away. Sam slumped down next to her, reading through the article on the screen.

"We might not come back." he said. "If we find a lead on dad, we're going to chase it."

"Understandable." Chloe smiled up at him. "But you said yourself that there don't seem to be many hunts at the moment while Smallville's always full of weird things."

Sam nodded as Dean strode back into the room, duffle bag in one hand. "Coming Sammy?" he called.

Sam groaned at the nickname, but stood up, patting Chloe on the shoulder as a good-bye.

"See you later." she called, turning off the computer. "Have a safe trip."

*

"How about we talk to the police?" Sam suggested, slumped in the Impala as Dean searched for a parking space. "They'll be the ones who knew Walter Kelly."

Dean rolled his eyes. "What do you think we were going to do?"

"Of course, we can't be us as you're probably still wanted for the whole kidnapping girls thing."

"Well, we know I didn't do it." Dean smirked. "I'd say we ask this Daniel Gunderson. The article says he was the other cop sent to the asylum that night."

Sam nodded. "And where do you think we'll find him?"

"On a Saturday after his friend committed suicide? A bar." Dean grinned when he spotted a space, and smoothly pulled up. "All we have to do is find which bar."

Luckily, in Rockford, Illinois, there were only two bars. After Dean asked one barman if he knew a Daniel Gunderson, and received a negative answer, they knew which pub to visit later that night.

The bar was rather quiet, so Dean confidently approached the bar, leaving Sam to lock up the car. The guy next to him was eerily silent, a few shot glasses cluttered in front of him. Dean smirked, sitting on the barstool next to him.

"Are you Daniel Gunderson?" he asked, and the man looked up slowly, his eyes surrounded by red rims. "The cop?"

"Yeah." Croaked the man, and Dean grinned.

"I'm..uh...Nigel Tufner." Dean lied, his eyes skimming round the room nervously until he spied an old newspaper. "I'm a reporter for the _Chicago Tribune. _You mind if I ask you a couple of questions about your partner."

Daniel's eyes widened, and he stared sadly at Dean. "Yeah. I do." He said, his voice shaking. "I'm just trying to have a beer here."

"It's okay." Dean stopped grinning, trying to look serious. "It won't take long. I just want to hear the story in your words."

"A week ago," Danny stuttered. "My partner was sitting in that chair. Now he's dead." His voice caught. "You going to ambush me, _here_?"

"Sorry." Dean said, insincerely. "I need to know what happened."

Dean suddenly winced as Sam clamped his hand down, hard, on his shoulder. "Hey, how about leaving the poor guy alone?" he hissed, and Dean grimaced. He grabbed him, pushing Dean away from the table. "The man's an officer" he grinned at Dean's annoyed face. "Why don't you show him a little respect?"

Dean stared at him for a moment, before slumping and walking outside the bar.

"You didn't have to do that." Mumbled Danny and Sam smiled.

"Of course I did." Sam relaxed. "That guy's a serious jerk. Let me buy you a beer." Sam quickly turned to the barman, ordering two beers and moving to sit across from the policeman.

"Thanks."

Meanwhile, Dean sat in the Impala, Black Sabbath blasting through the speakers as he watched the bar door, waiting for Sam to come out. Soon enough, Sam strolled back out, walking straight to the car. He got in, reaching for the stereo to turn off the loud music.

Dean smacked his hand away, turning the music down, before turning to frown at his brother. "You shoved me kind of hard in there, Sammy boy."

"I had to sell it, didn't I?" Sam laughed. "It's acting."

Dean groaned, "Yeah..." He turned the music off. "What did you find out from Gunderson, then?"

"Walter Kelly was a good cop." Sam said, as Dean rolled his eyes. "Head of his class. Even-keeled." Dean raised an eyebrow. "He had a bright future ahead of him."

"What about at home?" Dean asked, tapping his hands on the steering wheel.

"He and his wife had a few fights, like everybody, but it was mostly smooth sailing." Sam smiled weakly. "They were even talking about having kids."

"All right," Dean grinned. "So, either Kelly had some deep-seated crazy way to bust out, or something else did it to him."

"Right."

"What'd Gunderson tell you about the asylum?"

Sam frowned. "A lot."

Dean grinned, twisting the keys in the ignition. "So, College Boy," The car pulled away from the old bar. "Tell me more..."

*

The phone rang one more time before it was answered.

"Hi, it's Chloe." She said, leaning back against her own bright red locker, Pete to her left. "I was just calling to ask..."

"Sorry, busy."

Chloe frowned, listening to the silence on the other end. "Dean?"

_The other person has cleared_.

"Chloe?" Pete asked, gazing at her intently. "Did they answer?"

"Dean didn't." Chloe sighed, checking her contacts for Sam's number, and waiting for him to pick up instead.

The phone rang slowly, and she slumped against the locker. Pete grinned at her frustrated expression.

"Chloe?"

"Sam!" she smiled at Pete. "Just asking when you think you'll have finished this case." Pete shot her a questioning look and she blushed.

"Sorry, I'm busy." Sam spoke through the phone. "I'll see you later?"

He hung up and she grimaced. "Do they not even have enough time for a short conversation?"

"What do they work as?" Pete asked, wincing as Chloe shot him an angry look.

"I don't know. Detectives or something." She frowned. "Is their job so high on their priorities list that they can't afford a tiny conversation with me?"

"Jealous?" Pete asked.

"Of what?" she lifted herself away from the lockers, stalking away from Pete. They passed through the brightly-coloured halls of Smallville High, Chloe's anger only fading when she caught sight of the trademark blue jacket of Clark Kent.

Grinning, she snuck up behind him, following his eyes to see Tina Greer. She glanced back at Clark, watching as he stared intently at Tina. Pete stood by Clark, confused. Chloe grimaced as she spotted Tina's jumper, something she was sure Lana Lang had been wearing the following day.

"Hello Clark." she grinned, Pete waving his hand in front of Clark's face.

"Is everything okay?" Pete asked as Clark shook himself, turning his attention to his best friends.

"Have you guys ever noticed anything strange about Tina Greer?"

Chloe smirked, shaking her head as Clark started watching Tina once again. "Nothing that would require the intense concentration you're exerting to look at her."

Pete nodded in agreement, looking the dark-haired girl up and down. "The only thing weird about Tina is the amount of time she spends idolizing Lana."

Chloe laughed, noting Tina's Lana-esque hairstyle. "Yeah, she's practically her clone." Chloe turned to Pete as Lana and Whitney came out a nearby classroom, Lana attached to Whitney's arm. As Tina called out to Lana, Chloe sighed. "Come on," she tugged at Pete's arm. "Let's go."

She rushed them towards the Torch office, quickly slumping into her desk chair.

"Clark and Lana, Dean, Sam and whatever they're doing.." she snarked. "No one has time for me. I mean it's like I'm right at the bottom of everyone's priority list."

Pete sniggered, snatching a rubber spider from the desk and starting to chuck it up and down. Chloe continued ranting, loading up the computer and starting a new article.

She sighed, writing all her anger onto the paper, her rant on it's way to becoming the Torch's front-page, when Lana poked her head through the window and the rubber spider made a squelching noise as it landed on the side of the desk.

"Pete." Chloe snarled. "You throw that rubber spider one more time, and I'm going for my staple gun."

"May I come in?" Lana's voice pierced through room.

Chloe shot a look at her, before rolling her eyes. "The girl who writes for 'The Pom-Pom Parade' is, no surprise, out with mono."

Pete laughed, sliding out the room, as Lana winced. She stepped further into the room, keeping her distance from Chloe's desk.

"This week's editorial?" Lana joked weakly.

Chloe raised an eyebrow, snorting into her coffee. "My semi-annual 'Where are our Priorities' rant."

Lana grinned. "For what it's worth, I really admire what you've done with the paper this year."

"Well, that puts you in the majority of one." Chloe gestured towards a small pile of hate mail, a small smile on her face. "I'm sorry about the pom-pom crack. Once I hit no prisoners mode, it's kind of hard for me to shut it off."

Chloe grimaced at the fact that _Lana Lang_had calmed her down, turning to the ex-cheerleader with a curious look.

"Actually, I admire you for that." Lana said quickly. "You know who you are and you go for it."

"Well, I appreciate the compliment." Chloe grinned widely, suddenly feeling comfortable. "However, I know you haven't come down to this hole to give me a pep talk."

Lana blushed, sitting down next to Chloe. "The Torch prints the graduation speech every year, right?"

Chloe groaned. "Having read last year's snore-fest, that's an unfortunate yes. What year?"

"1977."

Chloe stood up, smiling at the dark-haired girl. "That's P.C."

"P.C?"

"Pre-Computer." explained Chloe. "When disco ruled the earth. Anything we have before then's going to be H.C."

"Hard Copy."

Chloe raised an eyebrow, impressed. "You catch on fast." She walked over to the filing cabinet, opening the bottom drawer and rifling through it. "Let's see, '77. Here we go." She pulled an aging paper out of the cabinet. "'Saturday Night Fever' was their prom theme. Styx won 'group of the century' and.." Chloe paused, reading the final article one more time. "Wow. Someone got in the administration's collective face."

She passed the issue over to Lana, who read it quickly, frowning. "Due to the controversial nature of this year's graduation address, the editors have elected not to run the text in this issue of the Torch."

"Meaning, ironically, it's probably the only one worth reading. You know, maybe I could track something down for you." Chloe became excited, hoping for an investigation. "Do you know who gave the speech?"

"Yeah." Lana blushed again, somehow managing to look like a Barbie doll. "My mother."

*

"So apparently the cops chased the kids here – into the south wing." Sam looked around the dark room.

"The south wing huh?" Dean grinned widely. "Wait a second." he pulled John's journal out from his jacket and looked through it, pausing slightly at the picture in Smallville. He chuckled at young Chloe before turning more pages, finally arriving on the pages dedicated to Roosevelt Asylum. "In 1972, three kids broke into the south wing. Only one survived. The way he tells it, one of his friends went nuts and started lighting up the place."

Sam frowned. "So, whatever's going on, south wing seems like it's at the heart of it."

"Yeah, but if kids are spelunking the asylum, why aren't there more deaths?"

Dean smirked, making his way over to a chained door.

"Looks like the doors are usually chained. Could have been chained up for years."

Dean shook his head, pulling at the chains and watching them come away from the door. "To keep people out." he told Sam, before his expression darkened. "Or to keep something in."

Sam nodded, as Dean pulled out the EMF from his pocket and pushed into the hallway. They walked slowly, Dean scanning the surroundings. Dean paused, turning to face Sam, his serious look suddenly turning into a teasing grin.

"Let me know if you see any dead people, Haley Joel."

Sam frowned. "Dude, enough."

Dean chuckled. "No, I'm serious." he schooled his mouth into a straight line. "You've got to be careful, alright? Ghosts are attracted to that whole ESP thing you've got going."

"I told you, it's not ESP." Sam exhaled, annoyed. "I just have strange vibes sometimes, weird dreams."

"That led us to extremely weird places like Smallville." Dean scowled. "Why an ex-hunter would choose to live there, I don't know."

"I don't mind it."

Dean looked back at him, with a snigger hiding something that sounded like 'Chloe' and Sam groaned.

"Dude, she's fifteen and a freshman. At _high school_." Dean continued to laugh, despite Sam's protests. "You getting a reading on that thing?"

"Nope." Dean shot one more laugh at him, before examing the corridor. "Of course, it doesn't mean nobodies home."

"Spirits _can _appear at certain hours of the day." Sam pointed out.

"And the freaks come out at night."

Sam nodded, pushing open a door and using his torch to look inside.

"Hey Sam?" Dean asked, and Sam turned back to him. "Who do you think is a hotter psychic? Patricia Arquette or you?"

Sam hit him on the arm and Dean burst into laughter, following Sam into the open room. Several tables were covered in jars, preserving different body parts, whilst several medical tools were scattered around the room. Sam grimaced, disgusted while Dean frowned, examining the instruments.

"Man. Electroshock, lobotomies – they did some twisted stuff to these people." He looked at Sam. "Kind of like my man, Jack, in Cuckoo's Nest." He grinned, but Sam rolled his eyes. His grin faded. "So, what do you think? Ghosts are possessing people?"

"Maybe." Sam looked at one green jar carefully. "Or maybe it's more like, uh, Amityville."

"Yeah, spirits driving them insane." Dean sighed, Sam still really serious. "Kind of like my man Jack in the Shining."

Sam didn't smile, his eyes still flicking around the room. "Dean… when are we going to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?" Dean was confused, watching Sam carefully.

"About the fact that Dad's not here."

Dean groaned, starting to rummage through some papers on a shelf. "Uh, let's see, never."

"I'm being serious."

"So am I, Sam. Look, he sent us here, he obviously wants us here. We'll just have to pick up the search later."

"It doesn't matter what he wants."

Dean grimaced, finally tunring to face Sam. "See, that attitude right there? That is why I always get the extra cookie."

"Dad could be in trouble. We should be looking for him, not wasting our time in Smallville or here." Sam was shouting, as Dean gazed at him, shocked. "We deserve some answers, Dean," Sam voice quickly grew quieter. "I mean, this is our family we're talking about."

"I understand that, Sam." Dean was growing frustrated too, his searching becoming less careful. "But he's given us an order."

"So what?" Sam stared at Dean, "We've always got to follow Dad's orders?"

"Of course we do."

Sam shot him an annoyed look, but returned to the search. Dean found a large plaque under some more disgusting diagrams. "Chief of Staff, Sanford Ellicott, M.D" he read aloud, Sam coming over to look as well. "Sanford Elicott. You know what we've got to do? We've got to find out more about the south wing, and see if something happened here."

He handed the plaque to Sam and left the room, Sam following him.

*

Chloe ran a hand through her hair, the silence of the school annoying her even more than the empty search for Mrs Lang's speech. Lana had been useless, as always, not even providing her with her mother's maiden name.

When she thought about it, Lana should have known. Her aunt was her mother's sister and so she should have known her last name.

"Laura Potter, graduation speech, 1977." Chloe mumbled as she typed it into the search engine. As the website loaded, her phone blasted the ringtone through the silence and she jumped.

"Hello?" she asked, not having checked the caller id. "Chloe Sullivan."

"Chloe, its Dean."

"So you're able to talk to me now?" she mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing." she rolled her eyes at the phone. "What do you want?"

"Can we borrow your investigative skills?"

"I'm busy." she glanced at the computer screen, groaning at the dullness of her current task.

"What with?"

"Graduation Speech, 1977."

"And how do you not find a creepy asylum more interesting?"

Chloe almost grinned at the idea of looking into it, before remembering she was already doing something. She frowned, not answering Dean in order to click on a link. "Dean, I'm busy."

She hung up, moaning at the lack of a good case due to her stubbornness. She glanced at her phone, but pushed aside, reading the blog that had come up on screen.

'_One thing in my life I will never forget was Laura's grad speech. Laura Potter, valedictorian, said 'I never made a difference…'_

Chloe smiled, hoping the job was done, due to some old guy with a online blog, when her phone rang once again.

"Dean, I told you, I'm busy." she snapped.

"It's Sam."

"I'm still busy."

"How can you not find this more interesting?"

She stared at the blog, then at her phone. "Sam, I'm not sure… I mean, of course I find it more interesting, but I promised someone I would do this."

"Chloe, it might help us find our dad. We need you to do this"

"Fine."

"Thanks."

"What am I looking into then?" she asked, already opening another internet page.

"Someone call Sanford Ellicott, the Chief of Medicine at the Roosevelt Asylum and if anything happened at the South Wing."

Chloe laughed with excitement. "That is better than Lana's mother."

"What?"

"I'll call you back when I've got something."

"Bye, Chloe."

"Bye, Sam."

She was grinning widely as she bookmarked the blog and instead typed 'Ellicott, Rockford, Illinois.'.

*

A few days later, Chloe sat in the Torch, a phone number on screen, as she considered calling a relation of Sanford Elicott.

Once again, her ringtone exploded through the silence. She turned away from the screen and grabbed it, answering.

"Chlo, it's Pete."

"Pete? What are you doing?" she asked, knowing Pete only called if he found something interesting.

"I was hoping you would ask that."

"Well?" she smiled.

"Clark and I were wondering if you wanted to come with us to the antique store."

"Uh, the antique store," she frowned. "Sorry, Pete, but.."

"We think something's up with Tina Greer."

"I could have told you that." she chuckled. "Seriously, what's wrong?"

"Clark thinks that she can change into different people, like Lex."

"Clark thinks she robbed the bank?"

"He also says she can change into Lana and wants to check the place out."

"So, another meteor freak attacking Smallville?" Chloe desperately wanted to go, but her eyes flicked to the phone number emblazoned across her computer screen. "I can't, I've got something else I'm doing at the moment."

"What could be more interesting than this?"

Chloe was sick of people asking her that. "Look, Pete, I'll help you when I'm finished. Call me if you find anything."

Pete agreed and she hung up, thankful he hadn't asked any questions. Grimacing, she picked up the wired Torch phone and plugged the number in, pressing call and wringing her fingers nervously under the desk.

A receptionist answered, and Chloe quickly formed a lie. "Hello, I'm a student at Metropolis and I'm studying History of Medicine. We're doing projects on small-town medicine and I was wondering if I could speak to a doctor here, maybe a psychiatrist."

The other end was silent.

"Please hold."

Chloe waited impatiently.

"That's alright. Dr Ellicott is free at the moment and he is willing to talk, Miss…?"

"Sullivan."

"Please hold."

Chloe waited for a while, until the doctor picked up.

"Hello, Doctor Ellicott, psychiatrist."

"Hello, I'm Miss Sullivan. I was calling about information about history of medicine in your area."

"I'd be happy to help."

Chloe raised an eyebrow, staying quiet for a second. "I'm sorry, it's just… wasn't there a Sanford Elicott. I'm sure I read about him during my studies." Ellicott gasped quietly. "Wasn't he a Chief Psychiatrist of somewhere?"

"My father was Chief of Staff at the old Roosevelt Asylum. How did you know?"

"I must have found it when researching Rockford." Chloe grinned. "Wasn't there an incident or something in the hospital, the south wing?"

"So."

"So?" Chloe paused, suddenly feeling awkward. "What was it exactly that happened in the south wing? I can't remember…"

"Look, if you've researched Rockford, then you must know all about the Roosevelt Riot."

"The riot? No, I don't think I had a very good source." Chloe was silently panicking.

"Miss, I'll tell you all about the riot, if you tell me why you're really calling."

"Honestly," she laughed nervously. "I'm just interested in the history of the area, and this riot seems to be the most exciting thing that's happened."

There was a few minutes of silence, where Chloe worried that the doctor had hung up on her.

"Honestly?"

"It's all for my report. I'm just a nerd…"

"The South Wing?" Chloe held her breath. "That's where they kept the hard cases, the psychotics, the criminally insane…"

*

Sam's phone rang, and the brothers looked up from their burgers. Dean smirked, grabbing the phone before Sam could react.

"Chloe?"

Sam frowned, reaching over for the phone.

"It took you awhile. What took you so long?" Dean asked.

"You try searching for a dead, psychiatrist whose not even vaguely famous."

Sam paid for the food, taking the burgers with him into the Impala. Dean followed. When he was sitting in his seat, he put the phone on speaker.

"And?" Dean asked.

"The South Wing was where they housed the bad cases."

"Sounds cosy." Dean grinned, glancing at Sam.

"One night in '64, the patients rioted. They attacked the staff, each other…"

"The patients took over the asylum?" Sam asked.

"Sam?" Chloe sounded happier, but she quickly went back to business. "Oh, yeah, apparently."

Dean laughed at her, while Sam stayed serious. "Any deaths?"

"Some patients, some staff." Chloe's voice broke. "I mean, it sounded pretty gory. Some of the bodies weren't recovered, including Ellicott."

"Wait, what do you mean, 'never recovered'?" asked Dean, frowning.

"Do we really have to go into it?"

"Yes." said Sam, softly.

"Cops scoured every inch of the place, but I guess the patients must have…" she gulped. "stuffed the bodies somewhere hidden."

"That's grim." Dean said.

"Yeah. They transferred all the surviving patients and shut down the hospital for good."

"All right, so to sum it up, we've got a bunch of violent deaths and a bunch of unrecovered bodies."

"Yes." Chloe sounded queasy. "That's what I said."

"Which could mean a bunch of angry spirits." Sam scowled.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, good times." Dean smiled. "Let's check out the hospital tonight."

"Whatever you're doing," Chloe paused, sounding slightly confused. "Be careful."

She hung up and the brothers grinned at the phone, pulling away from the curb and heading towards the Asylum.

They entered the building, Dean holding the EMF, and a flashlight while Sam held up a video camera. They walked slowly through the corridors, until suddenly the EMF started flashing wildly.

"Getting readings?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, big time." Dean walked further into the asylum, but Sam held him back, showing him the video screen.

"This place is orbing like crazy." The screen showed several orbs floating in the room.

"There's probably multiple spirits out and about." Dean explained.

"If the unrecovered bodies are causing the haunting.."

"We've got to find them and burn them." Dean said, determined. "just be careful though. The only thing that makes me more nervous than a pissed-off spirit is the pissed-off spirit of a psycho killer."

They continued walking, pausing when they heard something behind them. They turned, torches held towards the floor.

Nothing.

They moved further into the asylum. Sam walked a bit ahead of Dean, turning into another room. When he turned back around, a spirit stood before him. Her face was disfigured and shoe moved, disjointedly, towards him.

"Dean!" Sam yelled. "Salt gun!"

Dean rushed over. "Sam! Get down!"

Sam ducked as Dean pulled the trigger. The salt hit the girl and she vanished.

"That was weird." Sam panted.

"Yeah." Dean examined the room quickly. "You're telling me."

He walked away, Sam following him. "No, Dean, I mean that it was weird that she didn't attack me."

"Looked pretty aggressive from where I was standing."

They were walking back along the corridor. "She didn't hurt me. She didn't even try." Dean looked at him quickly. "So if she didn't want to hurt me, then what did she want?"

Dean didn't answer, his stare directed at an upturned table. A sob shook through the room, and they approached carefully. Sam moved the table as Dean aimed his gun. A young girl jumped, she was crying. Dean lowered his gun.

"It's all right." Dean shot a confused glance at his brother. "We're not going to hurt you. It's okay."

"What's your name?" Sam asked, helping her up.

"Katherine – Kat." she answered, her voice shaking.

"Okay, I'm Dean. This is Sam." Dean introduced.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked, worried.

"My boyfriend, Gavin –"

"is he here?" Dean asked, urgently.

"Somewhere." Dean exchanged a look with Sam. "He thought it would be fun to try and see some ghosts. I thought it was all just, you know… pretend. I've seen things. I heard Gavin scream and…"

Dean groaned. "Okay, Kat. Come on, Sam's going to get you out of here, and then we're going to find your boyfriend."

"No!" Kat screamed. "I'm not going to leave without Gavin. I'm coming with you."

Dean cursed quietly. "It's no joke around here, okay? It's dangerous."

"That's why I've got to find him."

Sam shot Dean an exasperated look.

"Alright." Dean sighed. "I guess we're going to split up then. Let's go."

Kat latched onto Dean and he led her down the corridor. Sam frowned, as he heard Kat start shouting her boyfriends name.

Sam turned, heading the other way. "Gavin?" he called. "Gavin?"

He walked slowly down the corridor, turning into an old room, where a boy lay shaking on the floor. Sam sighed, kneeling next to the young boy. "Gavin, hey Gavin." He shook the boy and he woke up, jumping as he saw Sam. "Hey, it's okay, it's okay. I'm here to help."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Sam. Uh, we found your girlfriend."

"Kat?"

"yeah."

"Is she alright?"

"She's worried about you. Are you okeay?"

Sam helped Gavin to stand up. "I was running. I..I think I fell."

"Running from what?" Sam asked quickly.

"There was…there was a girl. H-h-her face was all messed up."

Gavin started to panic, and Sam grabbed his arm. "Okay, listen. This girl, did she try to hurt you?"

"What?" Gavin shut up, looking terrified. "No. She, uh,…"

"What?" Sam was getting frustrated.

"She kissed me."

Sam's eyes widened. "But..but she didn't harm you physically?"

"Dude. She _kissed _me. I'm scarred for life."

Sam frowned, not amused. "Well, trust me, it could've been worse. Now do you remember anything else?"

"She..actually, she tried to whisper something in my ear."

"What?"

"I don't know. I ran like hell."

meanwhile, Dean strode down the corridor, Kat latching onto his arm. After a few steps, his flashlight went out and Kat squeaked.

"Son of Bitch." he cursed. "It's alright, I've got a lighter."

He pulled his arm away from Kat to fetch the lighter when she squeaked again.

"_What?"_ he asked.

"You're hurting my arm…" she whimpered.

"What are you talking about?" Dean shone he flame on her arm, eyes widening as he saw a hand holding onto her. As she screamed, the spirit snatched, pulling her into a room and slamming the door.

Dean swore, desperately trying to open the door, but it wouldn't open.

"Get me out! Please!" she yelled through the door.

"hang on!" He found a crowbar, using it to open the door, but again, it didn't work. He winced at the girls continuous screams, hearing footsteps from down the hall.

It was Sam and Gavin.

"What's going on?" asked Sam, eyeing the crossbow.

"She's inside with one of them." Dean explained quickly, pounding again at the door.

She screamed for help again, and Gavin started panicking.

"Kat, it's not going to hurt you!" Sam yelled back through the door. "Listen to me! You have to face it. You have to calm down."

"She's got to what?" asked Dean, incredulous. Kat echoed him.

"The spirits, they're not trying to hurt us, they're trying to communicate. You've got to listen to it. You have to face it!"

"_You _face it!" Kat said, hysterical, and Dean couldn't help chuckling.

"No, it's the only way you're going to get out of there. Just look at it, that's all." Kat shouted something in protest. "Come on, you can do it."

It fell silent.

"Man, I hope you're right about." Dean whispered to Sam.

"Me too." Sam grimaced.

They heard the door unlock and Kat walked out. Gavin rushed over, enveloping her in a hug.

"One thirty-seven." she said slowly.

"Sorry?" Dean asked politely.

"It whispered in my ear, 137."

Dean looked at Sam. "Room number."

They crouched down on the floor, pulling various weapons out of their duffle bag. "Alright, so if these spirits aren't trying to hurt us…" Sam wondered.

"Then what are they trying to do?"

"Maybe that's what they've been trying to tell us."

"I guess we'll find out." Dean stood up. "So, are you guys ready to leave this place?"

"That's an understatement." grimaced Kat.

"Okay." Dean turned to Sam. "You get them out of here. I'll go find room 137." He left, Sam and the couple walking back towards the asylum entrance.

Dean walked deeper in, looking at each of the room numbers until he came to room 137. He pushed open the door, eyes widening as he saw furniture, paper and various other things strewn across the room. He looked around, finally reaching an old cabinet, which he forced open. Inside lay a leather case, full of papers.

He leafed through the sheets, one of which read 'Patient's Journal'. He raised an eyebrow as he searched the journal, each page displaying various ways of torturing people. He looked on, disgusted. He grabbed his phone from his pocket, typing in a now familiar number.

It was picked up quickly.

"Chloe?" he asked, still reading. "All work and no play makes Dr Ellicott a very dull boy."

Back in the hallway, Sam stood with the couple. "I've looked everywhere." He told them. "There's no way out."

"So what the hell are we going to do?" asked Gavin.

"We're not going to panic."

"Why the hell not?"

His cell phone rang and Sam answered it quickly. "Hey." The couple glanced up at Sam. "Dean? Where are you?"

They heard Deans' panicked voice. "I'm on my way." Sam said, quickly, hanging up. "Allright, can either of you handle a shotgun?"

"I can." Kat said. "My dad's taken me skeet shooting a couple of times."

"Okay." Sam smiled, handing her a shotgun. "It's loaded with rock salt. Now, it won't kill a spirit but it will repel it. If you see something, shoot."

Sam walked away, moving down to the basement. "Dean?"

There was no response, so he entered the room, continuing to search. In the centre of the room, his flashlight went out. Sam grimaced, tapping it against his hand, as a door in front of him opened. sam entered, gun raised, seeing someone behind a translucent curtain.

He went towards it, pushing it aside.

No one was there.

Confused, he turned around. Dr Sanford Ellicott stood before him, grabbing his face and sending electrical sparks through his body.

"Don't be afraid." The spirit whispered. "I'm going to make you all better."

Dean walked back down the corridor, Chloe chatting into his ear about someone called Tina Greer. He was ignoring her as he navigated the hallways.

Someone shot, narrowly missing him and he fell to the floor.

"Damn it, damn it! Don't shoot, it's me!" he yelled, and he heard Chloe start panicking.

"Sorry!" Kat yelled, and he stood back up, approaching them.

"What are you doing here? Where's Sam?"

"He went to the basement. You called him."

"I didn't call him." Dean said, worried. "I've been on the phone this whole time."

"His cell phone rang. He said it was you."

"Basement? Watch yourselves." Dean picked up a gun from the floor, putting it into his jean pockets. "And watch out for me."

He left, running to the basement, Chloe's loud panicking on the end of the phone not helping. He paused by the basement door, lifting the phone back ot his ear. "Chloe." he panted. "Sam's fine, but your panicking isn't helping. Just be quiet for a second."

He pushed the door open. "Sammy?" he called. "Sam, you down here?"

He turned round, and Sam was standing behind him. "Man!" Dean exhaled. "Answer me when I'm calling you. You all right?"

"I'm fine." Sam answered, quietly.

"You know that wasn't me who called your cell, right?"

"I know." Sam nodded. "I think something lured me down here."

"I think I know who. Dr Ellicott. That's what the spirits have been trying to tell us. You haven't seen him, have you?"

"No." Sam answered. "How do you know it was him?"

"Cause I found his log book. Apparently, he was experimenting on his patients – some awful stuff."

"It makes lobotomies look like a couple of aspirin." Chloe said, Dean having put her on speaker. Sam looked at Dean in shock.

"But it was the patients who rioted."

"Yeah." said Chloe. "But they were rioting _against_ Ellicott. Dr Feelgood was working on a type of extreme rage therapy. He thought if he could get his patients to vent their anger, then they'd be cured." Chloe sighed. "Instead, it only made them angrier."

Dean grinned at Sam. "She's useful, isn't she?" He paused, hoping for a reaction. "So…I'm thinking, what if his spirit is doing the same thing? To the cop, the kids in the seventies – making htem so angry that thye become homicidal. Come on, Sammy. We've got to find his bones and torch them."

"I don't know." Sam said slowly. "It sounds kind of –"

"Crazy?" Chloe interrupted. "Honestly, I have no idea what you guys are doing, but I researched it. I don't know about Dean's theory but it's the only one we have."

"Exactly." smirked Dean.

"How?" asked Sam. "How are we going to torch his bones? The police never found his body."

"The log book said he had some sort of hidden procedure room down here somewhere, where he'd work on his patients. So if I was a patient, I'd drag his ass down here, do a little work on him myself."

Dean grinned, leaving to find the room, Sam following him dubiously.

"I told you, I looked everywhere. I didn't find a secret room."

"That's why they call it hidden." he paused. "You hear that?"

"What?" Sam frowned.

Dean crouched down, putting his hand on the space between the wall and the floor. "There's a door here."

Sam grimaced, raising his shotgun, suddenly looking extremely angry. "Dean." he hissed. "Step back from the door."

Dean turned, watching in shock as Sam's nose began to bleed. He stood up.

"Sam, put the gun down." He stated, wincing as Chloe began screaming through the phone, unsure about what was going on.

"Is that an order?"

"No, it's more of a friendly request."

As Dean reached into his pocket, turning off the speaker on his phone, Sam aimed the gun at his brother.

"I'm getting pretty tired of taking your orders."

"I knew it." Dean sighed, speaking loudly so Chloe could hear him. "Ellicott did something to you, didn't he?"

Chloe's words got louder, and Dean guessed she was trying to speak to Sam, but he wasn't really concentrating on her at the moment.

"For once in your life, shut your mouth."

"What are you going to do Sam? The gun's filled with rock salt. Not going to kill me."

Suddenly, Sam pulled the trigger, shooting Dean in the chest, sending him falling through the wall into the secret room.

"No." Sam laughed, evilly. "But it'll hurt like hell."

Dean opened his eyes, gasping for breath as Sam walked over to him.

"Sam!" he panted. "We have to burn Ellicott's bones and all this will be over. You'll be back to normal."

"I _am _normal. I'm just telling the truth for the first time." Sam snarled. "I mean, why are we ever here? Because you're following dad's orders like a good little soldier? 'Cause you always do what he says without question? Are you _that _desperate for his approval?"

"This isn't you talking Sam."

"That's the difference between you and me. I have a mind of my own. I'm not pathetic like you."

"So what are you going to do? You going to kill me?"

"You know what? I am sick of doing what you tell me to do. We're no closer to finding dad today than we were seven months ago."

"Well then," Dean sighed, noting that Chloe had gone silent, although he doubted she had hung up. "Here, let me make it easier for you." He removed the pistol from his jeans and handed it to his brother. "Go on. Take it. Real bullets are going to work a hell of a lot better than rock salt. Take it."

Sam snatched the gun from him, dropping the shotgun as he pointed the pistol directly at Dean. "You hate me that much?" asked Dean. "You think you could kill your own brother? Then go ahead. Pull the trigger."

Sam waited, his finger balanced on the trigger.

"Do it!" yelled Dean.

Sam pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. He tried again. While Sam was distracted, Dean grabbed him, throwing him to the floor. He stood above him, wincing in pain. "Man, I am not going to give you a loaded pistol." He used the butt of the shotgun to knock Sam out.

He spent the next few minutes searching the room, but he found nothing.

"Maybe he's in a cabinet." Came Chloe's weak voice from the phone.

Dean nodded, noticing a white medical cabinet in the corner of the room. He walked over, opened it and gagged.

Dr Ellicott's corpse was stuffed inside.

"Oh, that's just gross." He grabbed the duffle bag, taking out a container of salt and pouring it over the skeleton. He then poured on the lighter fluid, but his flashlight began to flicker and his phone died. A table suddenly moved, crashing into Dean and sending him flying across the room.

Dr Ellicott appeared next to him, grabbing the sides of his face and sending electrical impulses through Dean's body.

"Don't be afraid." The Doctor said. "I'm going to help you."

Dean struggled, reaching for his bag and grabbing his lighter with the tips of his fingers. He clicked the lighter and threw it into the cabinet, setting the corpse on fire. Ellicott let go of Dean, screaming with pain as his body disintegrated, leaving nothing but his clothes.

Sam groaned, waking up and massaging his head. Dean turned to him, raising his arms in front of him.

"You're not going to try and kill me, are you?" Dean asked. Sam shook his head. "Good. Because that would be awkward."

He helped Sam up, leading him out the room.

*

Chloe held the phone loosely in her hand, panicking quietly.

"Dean?" she asked, but it was silent.

She shook with nerves. When the phone started ringing again, she exhaled, answering again.

"Hey."

"Pete!" she exclaimed, once more.

"Tina tried to take over Lana's life. Clark went to save her."

"What!" her eyes widened. "What happened?"

"I'm not clear on the details."

"Where are they?"

"Clark says they're fine – Lana was trapped in a tombstone, but other than that, they're both fine. Although he said he was pushed into a few gravestones."

"Right." she smiled weakly. "I have to go."

She pushed herself out of her bed, grabbing her phone, a tape and her coat, praying that she hadn't woken her father. She ran outside, locking the door and jumping into her father's car.

She pulled away from the house, driving towards the Lang household. She arrived in record time, noting the ambulances and police cars.

She jumped out, spotting Clark sitting on a fence, swamped in blankets, and Lana wrapped in a hug from her aunt.

"Hey, I heard what happened." she said, greeting Clark with a wobbly smile. Clark smiled at her, looking amazingly uninjured.

"Did you come by to see if I was okay?" he asked, looking slightly shocked.

She shook her head, engulfing him in a quick hug anyway. He smiled down at her. "Actually," she whispered. As concerned as I always am about your personal wellbeing, I'm not here to see you."

She pulled away from him, walking over to Lana, noting her scared posture. "Lana," she whispered, sitting on Lana's free side. "I did some digging."

Lana burst into a smile. "Oh my god, how did you find this?"

She snatched the tape out of Chloe's hand, reading the label 'Graduation Speech, 1977'.

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you and it looks like you've had enough trauma for one night."

"Thank you, Chloe."

"No problem."

Chloe walked away, smiling at Clark one more time. She crawled back into her dad's car, following a white Belle Reeve van away from Lana's house.

*

Chloe woke up to a persistent ringing on the doorbell. Rolling out of bed, she ran down the stairs and unlocked the door.

Dean and Sam stood at the doorbell, both looking worse for wear.

"Sam? Dean?" she broke out into a grin. "I thought you were dead!"

She threw herself at the two of them, wrapping them in a hug. They tensed, grinning weakly at her. Pulling away, she brought them through to the living room. They slumped onto a sofa.

"You don't know how glad I am to see you." she told them, smiling at Sam. "I thought that if Sam hadn't killed you, then Dr Ellicott had killed both of you."

They squirmed uncomfortably, and she realised they didn't want to talk about. "You missed the freak of the week."

"I think our trip was more exciting." Dean said.

"I don't how you did that. I mean, it freaked me out on the phone, I can't imagine actually being there."

"What was it?" Sam asked, leaning on the arm of the chair. She looked up, confused. "The Freak of the week?"

"Oh, Tina Greer had been infected by the marrow, allowing her to change shape into anyone."

"Like a shapeshifter?" Dean asked, remembering his last encounter with one.

"I guess…" she glanced at him, "She was Lex, robbing the bank, and then she tried to become Lana lang, but our resident hero…"

"Clark?" Dean asked, exchanging suspicious looks with Sam, as he remembered seeing Clark walk through fire.

"Yeah. He saved her from being trapped in a crypt. Greer's not dead, but she was sent to Belle Reeve."

"Where?" Dean asked.

"Metropolis' own mental asylum, hopefully not as creepy as the one you were just in."

They nodded, and she glanced between them, spotting the bruise from the shotgun on Sam's head. She went into the kitchen, retunrning with some frozen peas. She sat between them, holding it gently against his bruise.

"Did you find your dad?" she asked, quietly to Dean, knowing it was a sore topic for Sam.

He looked down, shaking his head and she frowned.

"Well, at least you have each other!" she said, and Sam smiled weakly, wrapping one arm around Chloe.

She ignored it, watching as Dean snorted.

"Chloe." he said, seriously. "I don't do chick flick moments."

* * *

**Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the longest chapter so far (23 pages). I hope they don't get longer.**

**Thanks for reading**

**-Artjuice-**

**BTW, I just got a livejournal account, but there isn't much on it. You can access it from my profile, on the homepage link.**


	5. Cool

**I'd like to thank everyone who added me to their favourites or to story alert as well as the lonly shephard, cowboykelly17 and Zolnerovich for reviewing.**

Cool

The small campfire stood in the centre of a large of circle trucks. Couples were kissing, or wrapped in blankets. Single people sat in groups, drinking beer or passing their phone numbers round. A large stereo stood on the top of one of the cars, blasting music over the loud conversations.

Whitney Fordman had his arms wrapped around Lana Lang, who was covered by a thick blanket. They were whispering quietly to each other, gazing into each other's eyes.

Chloe Sullivan got out Clark Kent's red truck, grimacing as Clark caught sight of the couple. She scanned the area, wincing at the amounts of empty beer bottles scattered around Crater Lake.

"This is what I love about high school parties." Clark looked confused, turning to face Chloe as she continued to speak. "People will gather anywhere as long as there's illegally purchased alcohol and even the slightest chance of hooking up."

"If I recall correctly, you're the one who wanted to come to this party."

Chloe grinned up at her best friend. "I wanted to get out of the house. Dad and the Winchesters are working and don't want me there." she frowned. "Of course, I didn't know it was going to be so cold. It's like twenty thousand degrees below zero."

She shivered for emphasis, rubbing her arms in an attempt to warm up.

"I don't know." Clark looked confused again. "It doesn't feel that cold to me."

Chloe looked up at him, amazed. "Are you from an ice planet?" she asked. "It's freezing. I'm going to go thaw out by the fire."

Clark let her go, and Chloe walked over, quickly sitting down and watching as Clark talked quietly with the jock, Sean Kelvin.

She frowned as Clark shook his head at the jock, who then smirked and turned, heading towards her.

Her eyes widened, and she turned back to fire, rubbing her hands together, as she avoided the jocks stare.

"If you'd like, I could rub them for you." he smirked. "Nothing heats up a body like friction."

Chloe blushed slightly, but turned to look at him. "I can't believe you delivered that line with a straight face."

"Well, all I did was offer to keep your hands warm, Chloe."

"And he knows my name." She grinned up at him, and he sat next to her.

"I read your editorials in the Torch." Chloe looked at him in shock. "Pretty cool."

"Well, thank you, Sean." Chloe looked away from him and instead turned her gaze to a young girl sitting with some friends. "I sit next to Jenna in Bio class. Remember, you dumped her last week."

Sean looked guilty for a second, and then a large smirk slid over his face. "It was mutual."

"So you're here trolling for fresh meat."

Sean grinned, predatorily, as he watched Chloe. "Don't worry, Chloe." He leered, and she fidgeted a bit. "I'm not going to make a move on you, no matter how pretty I think you are."

Chloe blushed, looking him up and down, trying to remember why she didn't like him.

"Yo, Sean!" Whitney called, carefully pulling away from Lana and grabbing a football. "Hail Mary's down by the lake."

Chloe rolled her eyes as Sean fidgeted excitedly before turning back to her. "Yeah...uh...Can I get your number?"

"Wh-why?" wondered Chloe, suddenly shy. "You're never going to call."

"I'll call you tomorrow, I promise."

Chloe shook her head, but still pulled a pen out from her pocket and leaned over to write her number quickly on his hand. "Well, I won't hold my breath."

Sean laughed, but quickly stood up and ran over to his fellow jocks. Chloe sighed, putting her pen away.

Clark sat next to her, glancing at her occasionally. She smiled, leaning into him slightly.

"Did you just write your phone number down on Sean Kelvin's hand?" Clark asked.

Chloe raised an eyebrow at her friend. "Don't need to sound so shocked, Clark." she looked down, slightly embarrassed. "I mean, guys do find me attractive even though I don't have brown hair and the initials L.L."

Clark stiffened, looking down at Chloe with shock. "That's not what I meant." Clark reddened as Chloe faced him, confused. "The guy's a...a dog."

Chloe snorted at the odd-sounding sentence. "Clark, relax." She giggled. "I just gave him my number to get rid of him."

Clark rolled his eyes and Chloe stood up. "C'mon Clark." She grinned. "The taxi's leaving."

*

Chloe quietly unlocked the front door and snuck inside, watching through the kitchen door as the brothers examined newspaper after newspaper.

She hung up her coat before walking over behind Sam, trying to see what he was reading. Dean tensed and turned to glare at her and she grinned innocently at him.

"Chloe? What are you doing?" Dean asked and Sam turned round quickly.

"I thought you went to bed." Gabe said, folding his newspaper away so she wouldn't see what they were doing.

"Er...no. I told you, I went to a party." Gabe looked at her in shock, clearly not remembering her even mentioning it.

"Where?"

"Crater Lake."

"Well, if you were at a party, you weren't there for long." Dean said.

"It's freezing." Chloe sighed. "Only weirdoes like Clark would want to stay outside."

Dean raised an eyebrow, crumpling up his newspaper.

"Dude, I thought you had found something?" Sam asked.

Dean groaned. "No, it was solved a few days later."

Chloe raised an eyebrow, grabbing her phone before joining them at the table.

"Are you waiting for someone to call?" Sam asked politely, closing the Daily Planet.

"Yeah, actually." Chloe frowned. "Sean Kelvin asked for my number." She blushed. "But I'm not holding my breath."

"You just have a very tight grip on the phone." Dean joked.

Chloe grinned as the phone started ringing, quickly answering it. "Hello?"

Her grin faded slightly and they looked closely at her. "Oh, Clark."

She nodded a few times before saying good-bye and closing the phone.

"Clark and Pete are getting the bus from here tomorrow." Chloe told them, frowning. Then she reached out, grabbing the Daily Planet from in front of Sam. "So, what are you looking for?"

Chloe gasped as they reacted quickly, Dean and her father saying 'Nothing' really quickly while Sam smiled and said 'The Weather Forecast'.

She groaned. "Look. It's pretty obvious that you haven't spent all day cooped up in the house to look at weather forecasts, but, I'll leave you to it."

She grinned at them, quickly leaving the room, phone still clenched in her hand.

*

The doorbell rang. Sam answered the door, as Chloe sat, slumped on the table, and didn't even move when the doorbell rang.

"Hey, uh...it's Sam right?"

It was Pete and Clark, both of them peering inside to see Chloe.

She stood slowly, pushing past Sam to greet her best friends and letting them inside.

"I haven't had breakfast yet." She explained, so they joined her at the table.

Sam sat with them, tapping his fingers awkwardly as he hoped Dean would wake up soon.

"So, did Sean call?" Clark asked.

"Negative." Chloe answered; her smile fading. "Not that I was waiting by the phone or anything."

"Maybe he got caught up." Pete said, watching as Chloe grabbed some toast from the toaster. "One time, my sister didn't hear from a guy for a week."

Dean came down the stairs, eyeing the group with amusement. He sat next to Sam. "Don't want to get you down Chloe." He said. "But most of the time, I don't call when a girl gives me her number."

Clark stared at him in disgust, but Pete shook his head. "When my sister called to tell him off, it turned out his grandmother had died."

"As much as I appreciate the spotlight here, I'm fine." Chloe grinned.

"You're probably better off." Clark smiled down at her. "Sean's a total dog anyway."

Dean snorted at Clark's pep talk.

"He's not that bad, Clark." Pete said, and Chloe looked at him. "He's always been cool to me."

"You're on the team with him." Chloe said, but they ignored her.

"Just because you can't get past your Lana crush, don't knock us for trying to make a love connection."

"I thought we were focussing on me here."

"I don't have a crush on Lana." Clark protested.

Pete smiled, clearly not believing. "Then why don't you ask some other girl out?"

"Like who?"

Dean and Sam watched as Pete struggled to name another girl who would suit Clark. Chloe stared, frowning.

"Like Chloe?"

Chloe blushed, turning away from the two boys, while Sam grimaced. Dean burst into laughter again as Clark looked at Chloe, astonished.

"Okay, wait!" Chloe muttered, still not facing her friends. "I'm not some crash-test dummy you guys can use to try out your dating skills." She turned to stare at Clark, her cheeks still slightly red. "You, if you like Lana so much, why don't you just ask her out and get it over with." Then she turned to Pete, her eyes slightly darker with anger. "And you; stop acting like a Vegas bookie picks your dates."

She picked up her school bag, whispering a goodbye to the brothers as Clark and Pete watched her in shock.

"Both of you," she said suddenly. "Treat me better."

Then she turned on her heel and walked out the house. Pete and Clark followed her at a distance, waving awkwardly at the brothers.

"Well, now they're gone," Dean smirked, pulling a newspaper out from under his chair. "Let's get to work."

*

Chloe looked up from the screen as Clark bounded into the office, grinning down at her. She raised an eyebrow before looking back at the screen.

"Seriously," she moaned. "Is there nothing interesting in Smallville anymore?"

"What?" Clark smiled wider, sitting next to her. "Tina Greer was only two weeks ago."

"Yes, but I need daily things for the Torch, Clark. No one wants to read about new desks in Classrooms 12, 13 and 14. Why does nothing exciting happen?"

"Stuff does happen." Clark leaned back in his chair. "I'm going out with Lana tonight."

"What?" Chloe turned to look at him. "When did that happen?"

Pete strode in to the room, lying on the sofa. "When did what happen?"

"Just now." Clark answered. "I ran into her at The Beanery."

"Wait, let me get this straight – you walked in to get a cappuccino, and what?" she paused, wide-eyed. "Walked out with a date with Lana Lang?"

Clark looked down. "It's not actually a date."

"What, just friends?" She laughed. "Even with the 'just friends' rider, I'm impressed."

"What are you doing? On your _non-date_?" asked Pete.

"We're going to a Radiohead concert." Clark said slowly.

"How did you score the tickets?"

Chloe giggled. "I'm guessing a certain folically-challenged individual was behind it."

Clark frowned that she could guess that Lex had given him the tickets. "He did hook me up." He smiled again. "But, Chloe, I have you to thank."

"What did I do? Send you on the lucky coffee-run?"

Clark chuckled. "You were right. I just had to get it out there."

"Well, good. I'm glad."

Sean Kelvin stalked into the office and fixed a lecherous gaze on Chloe, who blinked at his sudden appearance.

Pete winked at her, gesturing towards the older jock.

"Chloe, don't I owe you a phone call."

Chloe looked down, embarrassed. "I guess so."

"What are you doing now?"

Chloe stared at him, and was pretty sure Clark was sending an 'are you stupid' look his way. "Well, I've got to finish tomorrow's paper."

"Oh."

He turned, scouting the corridor. Chloe frowned. "Maybe afterwards," she paused. "We could do something?"

Jenna strutted past the Torch and Sean started. "Jenna!" he called, running out the Torch. "Wait up!"

"Okay," Chloe looked down, upset. "I was playing barely-hard-to-get. What's the problem?" she turned to Clark with a frown and began to gather up her papers. "Clark Kent gets a date with Lana Lang and suddenly there's no luck for the rest of us?"

She walked slowly out the room. "Guys, I'm sure you can finish the Torch up for tonight."

Clark shook his head, but Pete sighed, nodding. "I'll be fine." he called, as Clark meandered after her.

"Chlo?" Clark caught her up. "I know you're pretty upset but would you mind helping me get ready for the concert tomorrow?"

She smirked, nodding. "Fine."

*

It was Dean who answered the door when Clark came round that night. He had a pile of clothes under one arm, and was standing there awkwardly for five minutes until Dean let him in.

As he moved past, Dean scoured the street for signs of the bright red Kent truck, but nothing. He frowned, suspicious, watching as Chloe flew out the kitchen towards Clark and led him through to the living room.

Sam looked up from his place on the sofa and lifted his feet so Chloe could sit by him. Clark stared at the two of them. Chloe smirked, grabbing her laptop as Clark started to lay out his selection of shirts.

Dean joined them, gazing, disgusted, at Clark's multicoloured plaid tops.

Chloe giggled as she scanned her laptop screen, quickly lifting it up to allow Sam to put his legs over her lap. He took up the entire sofa when stretched out, but Chloe was only paying attention to Clark.

"Your online horoscope suggests you try not to flaunt your excitement." she read aloud, glancing at Clark in amusement. "Which I know will be hard since you've been waiting for this date since, like, your first growth spurt."

Dean snorted but Clark frowned. "I'll say this one more time and then I'll print bumper stickers. This isn't a date."

Sam watched the two freshmen with a strange expression on his face – Dean could make out one of the many expressions he was displaying – amusement – but the rest, Dean couldn't tell. "All right…" Chloe sighed. "Just check Lana's outfit. If a girl wears something new to hang out with you, you know at least she thinks it's a date."

Dean raised an eyebrow at her, grinning. "Thanks Chloe, that's helpful to all people who don't know when they're on a date."

"Namely Mr Kent here." Sam finished and Clark frowned at them, still getting used to the fact that Chloe seemed to be living with her father's 'godsons'.

"I thought I came over for fashion advice." sighed Clark, picking up a red plaid shirt and holding it to his chest.

Dean and Sam snorted as Chloe groaned. "Burn that." Clark glanced at her in shock. "What else have you got?"

Clark scanned the similar shirts before sitting down miserably next to Dean. "Nothing."

Chloe's phone rang and she picked it up. "Hello?" she paused. "Sean? Hi."

She left the room after a quick glance at Sam. Sam frowned after her. "Clark?" he asked. "What's this Sean guy like?"

Clark glanced at him whilst Dean observed his brother. Sam was fidgeting, his foot quickly tapping against the arm of the sofa.

"I don't like him." Clark said slowly. "I mean, he uses his status as a jock to get girls. I mean, Chloe's nice and all, but I don't see why he's going after her."

Chloe appeared at the door, grinning widely.

"Did he apologize for blowing you off?" Clark asked and the two brothers stared at him.

"He said he wasn't feeling well." she said quietly.

"Chloe, I saw him go off with Jenna." Dean grimaced. "I guess she made him feel better."

Chloe was unable to look Clark in the eye, so she stared at Sam instead. "He promised he was completely over her."

"You like him, don't you?"

"He may be intellectually challenged, but he's really hot." she answered, smirking. "Besides, he begged to get together tonight just to talk, so I told him he could bring me coffee at the Torch. I need to check Pete hasn't destroyed the paper. "

"Sounds like a date."

"It's not a date." Chloe smiled. "It's a fact-finding mission to see whether he deserves a date."

Dean winced. "I wouldn't want to date you." he said jokingly.

"I don't want to see you get hurt." whispered Clark, but Sam heard and nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry Clark. I figure if you can take a risk with Lana, I can take a shot too." She disappeared from the doorway for a few seconds. When she reappeared, she was holding one of Sam's light blue, ironed shirts. Sam glanced at her in confusion as she sized Clark up. "Blue's a good colour on you."

Clark's eyes darted from her to Sam as Sam tensed, clearly not wanting Clark to borrow his clothes.

"Sam?" Chloe turned to him. "Can Clark borrow this? Just for tonight."

Sam looked from Clark to Chloe before sighing. "As long as he returns it."

Chloe smirked, passing the item to Clark and sending him upstairs to change.

"Sharing clothes?" Dean teased. "I never realised you and Clark were such close girlfriends."

*

Chloe looked up from the computer screen as she heard footsteps echoing through the empty school. The office was dark, the only light coming from the computer screen.

She walked over to the door, turning on the light and peering out the room.

"Sean?" she called. "Hello? Is that you?"

She looked around, spotting a paper arrow plastered to a locker. It pointed to the floor, so she looked down, her eyes widening as she saw a path of yellow petals leading her away from the Torch.

"Okay," she whispered, starting to follow them. "This is interesting."

*

Sam glared at the tv, wondering how Chloe's 'fact-finding mission' was going. Dean watched him amused, whilst flicking through the channels for the news.

"I'm sure she's having a wonderful time." Dean said, grinning as the anchorwoman appeared on the screen.

Bored, he watched through the first few issues, but there was nothing supernatural. Sam slumped further into the sofa.

"I don't like it." Sam said quietly and Dean laughed louder. "I mean, even his name gives this bad..."

Dean snorted, "Extending your psychic abilities to auras now are we?" He rolled his eyes. "Now watch the news and forget about the high school girl."

Sam watched the current story while Dean gazed at the woman. "And tonight," she read, "in Smallville, police are seeking seventeen year old Sean Kelvin," Sam tensed, looking at Dean with a mixture of fear and worry as Dean's eyes widened in shock. "after the mysterious death of Smallville High student Jenna Barnum, whose body was found early this afternoon. Kelvin was last seen leaving..."

*

Chloe eased open the door of the pool and rolled her eyes. The petals had stopped, and she now stood alone in the strangely lit room.

"Sean?" she called. "What's going on?" She looked at the pool quickly before sighing in exasperation. "I agreed to a cappuccino. If you think I'm going skinny-dipping with you, think again buddy."

She turned, hearing someone close the door. It was Sean. He stood, hunched, before her, his skin blue with cold and ice decorating his hair and eyebrows.

She stepped away from him as he came towards her, rubbing his hands up and down his arms.

"I'm sorry Chloe." He whispered, raising his hand to show her number embedded into his skin. "I don't have a choice."

Chloe scanned his body as he stepped closer, inhaling deeply. "What happened to you?"

"I can't stay warm." He shivered, reaching an arm out for her and she gazed on in confusion.

"Why don't you just sit by a fire?"

"Because I only get a quick fix." He snarled. "Body heat lasts longer."

Chloe's eyes widened and she stepped back, falling into the warm pool. She gasped in shock as he stepped right up to the pool edge and bent down. He placed his hands jut inches above the water and raised his head.

She screamed mutely as he started to suck the heat from the water, clumsily turning and splashing across the pool in a weak attempt at front crawl.

He laughed slightly, raising his head higher, like a howling wolf. The water began to freeze and ice started spreading across the pool. Chloe swam, finally reaching the other side and pulling herself out the water, but she couldn't move. Her foot was trapped.

He cackled, stepping on to the ice. "I promise it won't hurt, Chloe."

She whimpered, unable to get her foot free. Shaking with fear, she turned to face him. She gasped, catching sight of Clark shaking the pool door from the hallway.

"Clark!" she yelled, and Sean turned. "Clark! Clark, help!"

She watched as Clark forced himself against the door and it shattered. He ran round the pool, bending to Chloe as she grabbed his arm, trying to pull herself out.

"Are you okay?" he asked and she sobbed.

"My foot's stuck!" she told him and he transferred his gaze away from her.

He punched the ice, and Chloe heard two loud cracks and then suddenly, her foot was free. She stared at Clark in shock.

Clark's eyes softened slightly. "You okay?"

"Yeah." She breathed, but Clark was looking over her shoulder at Sean.

"Go! Run!" he yelled.

Chloe saw Sean walking towards them and panicked, dashing out of the pool and into the hallway. She forgot about Clark and ran, stopping for breath by the Torch. She leant against the wall, wincing as she felt a sharp pain in her leg.

The school was silent for a millisecond, and then suddenly she heard footsteps on either side of her. She breathed heavily, closing her eyes, hoping for a second that whoever it was wouldn't see her.

"Chloe?" three voices rang out and she shakily opened her eyes, seeing Clark on one side, Sam and Dean on the other.

"Thank god you're alright!" she breathed, pulling Clark into a tight hug.

"Thank god you're alright..." said Sam, pulling her gently away from Clark. "We thought Sean might've come after you."

Chloe and Clark paled, while Dean assessed the situation. "Chloe, why are you wet?"

"Well...um..." She ignored the question, limping into the Torch and slumping into her chair.

"Are you alright?" Sam asked, staring at her legs.

"Well, I think I might have a splinter and I'm a bit cold..."

Clark turned, fishing around in the Torch cabinet for a blanket, while Sam examined her calf.

"Sean did try to kill her." Clark said suddenly. "He was trying to freeze her in the pool."

"Actually, he was trying to steal my body heat. I just happened to fall in the pool." She whispered.

The brothers stared at her in shock, ignoring her cry of pain as Sam pulled the long wooden splinter out her leg.

"Where did you get this then?" Sam asked.

"The door Clark broke down when he saved me."

"Lucky Clark was here." Dean said slowly, staring at Clark, who fidgeted nervously as he wrapped Chloe in a deep red blanket.

"What were you doing here?" Sam asked, suspicious.

"Did I thank you for that rescue yet?" Chloe said quietly.

Clark turned to her, his eyes warm. "I heard about Jenna on the news, and I didn't want you to be next."

Chloe grinned weakly, turning on the computer. Clark smiled before leaving the room. She watched him leave, turning to Dean and Sam. "What are you doing here?"

"Same as Clark." Sam answered.

"Sammy was jealous and wanted to see that you were alright." Dean chuckled and Chloe blushed.

Sam hit Dean in the side, before pulling a chair over and sitting behind Chloe, rubbing up and down her arms with his hands.

She shivered, leaning back into his touch, as Clark bounded back into the room, a specialty Beanery hot chocolate in his hands. He glanced from Sam to Chloe before handing her the drink.

"How did you get that so fast?" Dean asked, and Clark turned to him, his expression slightly scared.

Chloe didn't notice. "Well, I finally find a guy I like," she sighed, not noticing how Sam's hands stilled. "and he turns out to be homicidal."

She laughed weakly, opening the Internet and typing furiously into the Google search engine as Clark turned away from Dean and sat on the sofa.

"You deserved a lot better than Sean even before he tried to kill you." Clark said and she grinned.

"That's sweet...I think?"

Sam laughed weakly, starting to rub her arms once more. She sighed, not noticing Dean's teasing grin and Clark's shocked stare.

"Any idea what happened to him?" Clark asked sharply.

"The only similar thing I can find is a medical condition where there's damage to the thermo-sensitive parts in the brain." She said slowly. "The person literally can't stay warm. It's like a permanent case of hypothermia."

"So Sean's getting his heat where he can take it."

"Yeah." Chloe smirked slightly. "Preferably from high school girls."

"Where else?" Dean leered and Chloe giggled as Sam rolled his eyes.

"But you saw the pool." Chloe continued. "You take the heat out of water, you get ice. He's like a battery that can't hold his charge. I think we should call for help."

Clark stood, staring intently at Sam and Dean, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Dean's jacket pocket. Dean stared back, his hand hovering over said pocket protectively, getting a strange feeling that the freshman knew he was hiding a gun.

"I'll take care of that." Clark said finally, and Sam felt as though Clark had been judging whether or not it was safe to leave Chloe with them.

As Clark made to leave, Chloe stood up weakly. "You have to believe me," she stuttered. "When I say that almost getting my heat sucked was not a passive-aggressive attempt to ruin your date."

Clark stiffened as he seemed to realise something, then he groaned. "Lana."

*

"We really should get her home." Dean whispered to Sam. "She needs a proper, warm bed not a blanket on the sofa in the Torch."

Sam nodded. "But she's asleep."

Dean rolled his eyes. Sam pulled Chloe closer to him, wrapped in the blanket. She snuggled up to him, and Sam grinned at Dean.

"Oh, sorry, I'm sure she's fine where she is." Chuckled Dean.

Suddenly, the lights flickered. Dean tensed, looking up at the light while Sam began to tap his fingers on the arm of the sofa.

It went dark.

A rumbling filled the school and then the generator turned on an Chloe's computer sprung on, no longer in sleep mode and a loud beeping filled the room.

Chloe opened one eye, and saw Sam's chest. She stiffened, pushing away and turning away. She got up, went over to the computer and stopping the beepin.

"Do you think that was a demon?" Sam asked Dean quietly.

Chloe turned to them. "DO you want me to track where the power failure started?" she asked. "Because I can do that."

Sam nodded, and she began to type furiously. A map appeared on screen and Chloe stared. "It started at the power station." She read. "I bet it was Sean."

Sam looked up. "Well, where do you think he'll be going. I thought he need body heat."

Dean groaned. "If I was him, I'd head somewhere where there'd be people and electricity."

Chloe looked up. "If I was him, I'd go to the Luthor Mansion. The man's a billionaire – I'm sure he has an amazing generator."

Sam nodded. "We'll drop you home and then we'll check it out."

Chloe smiled, following them out the school and into the Impala.

When they reached her house, she leapt out with a quick 'Be careful' before running into the house.

Sam watched her get inside and then Dean sped off towards the Luthor Castle.

The road was empty so they moved quickly, soon able to see the Luthor house.

"Dean? What's that?" Sam said and Dean pulled over.

A car lay just off the road, the front was crinkled. Sam got slowly out of the car, checking one side to see if anyone was inside.

"They must have got out." Sam told Dean but Dean frowned.

"And they probably went to the Luthor house." Dean groaned.

Sam straightened in shock, walking round to the other side and tripped. He looked down and his eyes widened. Clark Kent lay on the floor, frozen and blue. Sam cursed, kneeling down and checking the young boy for a pulse.

"It's Clark." He called to Dean. "He's so cold."

Dean swore, climbing out the Impala. "Let's just get him into the car, take him to the hospital after we've got Sean."

Sam grabbed him by the armpits while Dean held his feet, pulling him up and laying him gently into the backseat.

"I'm not sure Dean, I don't know if he'll last that long."

Dean looked uneasy, but settled into his seat and drove, towards the mansion and not the hospital.

"And if we don't get Sean, how many others will end up like him?"

They pulled up on the side road leading into the mansion. They got out the Impala, going into the trunk to get some weapons. They loaded them with real bullets and went to look the door. They heard a shaky intake of breath and then Clark sat up, the icicles falling from his hair. He stood up slowly, tentatively moving his fingers as he stared at the brothers.

"Thank you." Clark said quietly and Dean grinned at him, turning to Sam and beginning to tread towards the mansions.

He turned back to tell Clark to watch out for Sean, but Clark was gone.

"Somethings seriously strange about that boy." Dean said, climbing over the wire that surrounded the property and watching as his brother did the same.

They walked slowly round to the back of the house, pausing when they heard hurried footsteps. Martha Kent ran right into Sam, looking up in shock. Her eyes were wide and she looked scared.

"Are you here for Sean?" she asked and Dean nodded slowly. She calmed, pointing them in the opposite direction than where she had come from. "He went that way."

She rushed back into the house and Dean grinned. "She was lying." He said, turning and walking in other direction, his gun held in front of him.

They walked past the frozen generator and through a small forest, pushing through the leaves until they arrived at a lake. They froze, watching shocked as Sean Kelvin straddled Clark Kent, his hand hoveing above Clark's face.

"I don't know what it is about you." Sean hissed. "But I haven't felt this good in two days. And when I'm done with you, there's your mum, your dad and Lana."

They watched as Clark's eyes narrowed and he grabbed Sean by the arms. Sam raised his gun, preparing to shoot.

"I'll never let you hurt them." Clark growled.

Then Clark lifted Sean off him and threw him across the clearing. This time, Sam did drop his gun. Clark didn't hear, watching as Sean flew into the lake and it froze.

Sam bent, picking up the gun, leading Dean away from the mansion and Clark.

They climbed back into the Impala, both shocked into silence.

*

Chloe stood in front of Smallville High, reading the large board that had been set up in honour of Jenna. Sam and Dean stood on either side of her, looking at the pictures and tributes surrounding it.

"You okay?"

They turned, seeing Clark. He had a sad expression on his face as he read the noticeboard, before turning to look at Chloe again.

"Yeah." Chloe sighed, grabbing Sam's arm loosely. "The memorial service is tomorrow." She glanced back at the board, frowning. "I just keep thinking how that could have been me. All because some guy expressed some modicum of interest in me. I thought I was stronger than that."

Clark looked at her in shock, before sighing. "Everybody's searching for their soul mate, Chloe." Dean snorted as Clark glanced between Sam and Chloe. Chloe noticed, dropping Sam's arm and stepping close to Clark. "It's not a sign of weakness."

Pete sidled over, grinning. "I can't believe both your dates went straight to hell and I ended up with the limo."

"Limo?" Chloe said, disbelief in her voice.

"How was that?" Clark asked.

"Sweet." Pete grinned, "I've already hooked up with another date for this weekend."

Dean smirked at the younger boy.

"I'm swearing off men." Chloe said suddenly and the brothers glanced at her in shock, not used to hanging out with girls.

"We're not all bad." Dean said, his gaze stuck on the cheerleaders. Chloe rolled her eyes at him.

"Yeah, maybe you should just swear off heat-seeking horn dogs."

Chloe laughed. "Well, the next time a guy asks me out, I'm definitely doing an in-depth background check first."

Dean laughed. Clark joined in for a second, stopping when he saw Lana Lang nearby. Chloe sighed, linking arms with Sam.

"Come on , we'll see Clark tomorrow." She said to them, walking away from them and opening the Impala door. Clark glanced at them, before turning back to Lana.

"Bye Clark." She yelled, but he ignored her.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, please review!**

**-Artjuice-**


	6. Hourglass

**Here's another long chapter, longer than X-Ray/Asylum. Anyway, I'd like to thank the lonly shephard, as well as everyone who added this to favourites and story alerts. However, I would like it if more people reviewed as I have 13 people who have added to story alerts.**

**Anyway, heres the next chapter:**

Hourglass (/Scarecrow)

For once, it was Chloe leaning over a newspaper at the Sullivan's kitchen table.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked, his hands close to the paper. "When do you think you'll be done?"

Chloe glanced up at him. "Whenever I find an interesting opportunity for 30 hours of community service."

Dean groaned. "Great."

"Come on, Dean." She said slowly. "You know all Smallville High students have to do at least 30 hours community service."

Dean grinned. "See, when I was at school, we didn't have to do that."

Chloe rolled her eyes and returned to looking at the paper.

"Dean?" Sam called quietly from the living room, but Dean ignored him, sniggering at Chloe.

A loud smash echoed through the house and Chloe looked up, pushing aside the paper and walking into the living room. Dean watched her leave, pulling the paper over quickly.

"Sam?" Chloe asked, staring at the young man.

He stood in the room, Dean's phone at his ear and a lampshade smashed on the floor. Chloe watched for a few seconds before returning to the kitchen and grabbing the dustpan from the cupboard under the sink.

Dean looked up, groaning and standing up. He followed her into the room, watching Sam as he stood there in silence.

Sam frowned. "We've been looking everywhere for you." He whispered, and Dean's eyes widened. "We didn't know where you were," choked Sam. "If you were okay?"

He paused, listening to his father. "We're fine." He whispered. "Dad, where are you?" Dean smiled. "What? Why not?"

"Is that Dad?" Dean rasped and Chloe glanced at him.

"You're after it, aren't you?" Sam asked and Dean's head shot up. "The thing that killed mom."

Chloe stared at Sam in shock, knowing that their mom wasn't around, but not knowing why. She glanced between the two brothers before pressing the dustpan into Dean's hand and leaving the brothers alone.

Sam gasped. "A demon? You know for sure?"

Dean stared, gesturing to Sam to put on speaker as he closed the door. "What's he saying?"

Sam grimaced, pressing a button and letting John Winchester's voice into the room.

"I do." John answered. "Listen, Sammy, I, uh... I also know what happened to your girlfriend." Sam swallowed, looking down. "I'm so sorry. I would have done anything to protect you from that."

"You know where it is?" Sam said quietly.

"I think I'm finally closing in on it."

"Let us help." Ordered Sam and Dean glanced at him.

"You can't." John said, severely. "You can't be any part of it."

"Why not?"

Dean suddenly spoke up. "Give me the phone."

"Listen, Sammy, that's why I'm calling." John said quietly. "You, and Dean, you got to stop looking for me. Now, I need you to write down these names."

"Names?" Dean asked. "What names –"

Sam interrupted. "Dad, talk to me, tell me what's going on."

"Look, we don't have time for this." John ordered. "This is bigger than you think, they're everywhere. Even us talking right now, it isn't safe."

"No." Sam whispered. "No way."

"Give me the phone." Dean instructed.

"I have given you an order." John said slowly. "Now, you stop following me and you do your job. You understand me? Now, take down these names."

Sam started to protest but Dean grabbed the phone and turned off speaker. "Dad. It's me." Dean said. "Where are you? Yes sir...Uh, yeah, I've got a pen..." He glanced meaningfully at Sam who passed him a pen. "What are the names?"

*

Sam watched as Chloe ran the names through the search engine, Dean leaning over her shoulder.

"So the names dad gave us, they're all couples?" Dean asked.

"Yeah." Chloe turned, grinning at them. "Three different couple. All of them went missing."

"Are they from different towns, different states?" asked Sam.

Chloe scanned the page. "Yeah, New York, Washington and Colorado."

"Do they have anything similar?" Sam asked.

Chloe typed furiously into the computer before turning and grinning. "They all took a trip cross-country. None of them arrived at their destination and none of them were ever heard from again."

"It's a big country." Sam said. "They could be anywhere."

"I know." Sighed Chloe, glancing at Sam with worry. "That's why I checked. Their route always took them to the same part of Indiana, on the second week of April." She frowned. "One year after another."

"This _is_ the second week of April." Sam realised and Chloe grinned.

"Yeah." She closed the screen window. "I guess you guys are leaving then?"

Sam nodded while Dean grinned excitedly. "Sorry Chloe, but the hunt's what we live for!"

Chloe raised an eyebrow as Sam sniggered. "I'm sorry, maybe I'd get that if I knew what you were going to do."

Dean sobered. "We can't tell you."

He walked out the room and she turned to Sam. Sam frowned. "I'm sorry, Chloe."

She shook her head with annoyance. "Well, I guess I'll see you?"

"I'm not sure." Sam admitted. "I don't know if we're coming back, we're getting closer to dad."

She looked at him in shock, the room suddenly silent. They could hear Dean packing in the next room.

"I have to find whatever killed my mom..." he whispered and she tentatively reached for his arm, trying to comfort him. "And Jess."

He pulled Chloe into a quick hug before striding out the room. "Jess?" she whispered after him.

Dean came in, a bag slung over his shoulder. "See you Sullivan."

"See you?" she raised an eyebrow. "Sam said he didn't think you were coming back."

"Well, Sammy's Sammy." Dean grinned. "I like having a home base, even if I have to put up with an annoying freshman."

Chloe laughed. "Well, then I will see you."

Dean patted her on the shoulder before walking out the house and climbing into the Impala. He waved through the car window with a large cheesy grin before he pulled away.

*

There was silence in the Impala. Dean drove, while Sam sat stiffly next to him.

"Alright?" Dean asked tentatively. Sam glared at him. "Missing Chloe?"

"So," Sam said, frowning. "Dad's sending us to Indiana to hunt this thing before another couple vanishes?"

Dean grinned at how he had avoided the question. "Yahtzee!" he exclaimed. "Can you imagine putting together a pattern like this? All the different obits Dad had to go through? The man's a master." He smirked. "If we had his skills, we'd have been out of Smallville a long time ago."

Sam grimaced before grabbing the steering wheel from Dean and turning the car towards the side of the road.

Dean pressed the breaks, stopping the car, before staring at Sam in anger. "What the hell are you doing?"

"We're not going toIndiana." Sam said.

"God, Sammy, you're not thinking of going back to Smallville are you?" Dean asked, confused.

"No. We're going to California."

Dean watched, shocked as Sam opened the boot and grabbed his bag. "Why?"

"Dad called from a payphone. Sacramento area code."

"Sam."

"Dean, if this demon killed mom and Jess, and Dad's closing in, we've got to be there." Sam said sounding choked with tears. "We've got to help."

"Dad doesn't want our help."

"I don't care."

"He's given us an order." Shouted Dean.

"I don't care." Sam said back with a similar tone. "We don't always have to do what he says. You don't see Chloe obeying Gabe's every order."

"Sam, Dad is asking us to work jobs, to save lives. It's important."

"Alright." Sam said, exasperated. "I understand, believe me, I understand. But I'm talking one week here. One week to get some answers, to get revenge."

"Alright, I know how you feel." Dean said slowly.

"Do you?" snarled Sam. "How old were you when mom died? _Four_? Jess died seven months ago. How the hell would you know how I feel?"

"Dad said it wasn't safe. For any of us, I mean, he obviously knows something that we don't so if he says stay away, we stay away."

"I don't understand the blind faith you have in the man." Sam growled. "It's like you don't even question him."

"It's called being a good son." Sam tightened his grip on the bag and Dean curled his lip with anger. "You're a selfish bastard, you know that? You just do what you want; don't care what anyone else thinks."

"That's what you really think?" asked Sam.

"Yes, it is."

"Well, then this selfish bastard is going to California." He pulled on his backpack, turning and walking away from his brother.

"Come on, you're not serious." Dean said, watching in shock.

"I'm serious."

"It's the middle of the night." Yelled Dean. "Hey, I'm taking off. I will leave your ass, you hear me?"

Sam turned to face his brother, standing away from him. "That's what I want you to do."

Dean gazed at his brother with slight horror, before turning, closing the boot and sliding into the front seat of the Impala. "Goodbye, Sam."

Sam watched as he drove away.

*

The sign read Scotty's Diner. Dean glanced inside, seeing the friendly looking host, and grabbed some flyers that he had printed off.

He stepped inside. "Let me guess." He said loudly. "Scotty."

The portly man smiled. "Yup."

"Hi." Dean grinned. "My name's John Bonham."

Scotty frowned. "Isn't that the drummer for Led Zeppelin?"

Dean blinked. "Wow." He said slowly. "Good. Classic rock fan."

Scotty smiled again. "What can I do for you John?"

Dean grimaced, taking two pieces of papers out of his pocket. "I was wondering, if, uh, you'd seen some friends of mine?"

He passed the fliers to Scotty. "Sorry." Scotty answered. "Who are they?"

"Friends of mine." Dean said. "They went missing about a year ago. They passed through somewhere round here, and I've already asked around Scottsburg and Salem."

Scotty looked at him, before his open expression suddenly became reserved. "We don't get many strangers around here."

Dean nodded, a bit nervous of the man's expression. "Scotty." He said jokingly, trying to make the man laugh. "You've got a smile that lights up a room. Anybody ever tell you that?" Scotty stared at him and Dean chuckled. "Never mind. See you around."

Dean shook his head, annoyed as he walked out of the diner, opening the door to the Impala. He groaned, leaning his head against the steering wheel in frustration."

*

Sam frowned when he spotted a woman sitting by the road, a large bag beside her. She was bouncing her head along in time to the loud music she was playing loudly through her speakers.

"Hey." Sam said.

She ignored him. Sam frowned, walking closer and laying a hand on her shoulder. She jumped, turning to him as she took out her earphones. Sam glanced at her quickly, noting her short blonde hair and wide smile.

He grinned back. "You scared the hell out of me." She said jokingly.

"I'm sorry." Sam said, glancing at her. "I just thought you might need some help."

"No, I'm good, thanks." She smiled at him.

"So where are you headed?" Sam asked, dumping his bag and sitting next to her.

"No offense," she paused. "But there's no way I'm telling you."

Sam laughed. "Why not?"

"You could be some kind of freak." She looked him up and down. "I mean, you are hitchhiking."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "So are you."

She laughed, holding her thumb out as a van came down the road. The van honked before pulling over.

A middle-aged man leant out the open door. "Need a ride?"

"Yeah." The two hitch-hikers answered.

The driver looked at Sam. "Just her. I ain't taking you."

Sam watched, shocked as the girl gathered her things and climbed into the van. "You trust a shady van driver and not me?"

She grinned. "Definitely."

She closed the door and the van drove off. Sam groaned, slumping down by the road. He groaned, reaching for his phone and flicking down the contacts. He stopped at Dean's name, frowning, before going up and hovering over Chloe's name instead.

He pressed the green button, listening as her phone rang. He almost hung up, but then Chloe picked up.

"Sam!" she said. "Why are you calling?"

"Are you busy?" he asked.

"No." he could hear her grinning. "Just last time you went on a … hunt, you were far too busy to talk to little old me."

"Well… I'm not with Dean right now."

"What?" she giggled. "Where is he then?"

Sam frowned. "Probably in Burkitsville."

"What?" Sam grimaced. "Then where are you?"

"On a road somewhere."

"What?"

"Hitchhiking."There was silence on the other end of the phone and Sam gripped his tightly. "Chloe? I just want to find Dad."

"Sam…" she sighed. "I completely understand."

Sam snapped. "No! Chloe, you don't! You don't understand!" he choked. "He could die! I need to find him."

"Sam…"

"I need answers… for Jess."

More silence.

"Sam." Sam closed his eyes, breathing heavily. "I don't know much about Jess… so I'm guessing you don't want to talk about her."

"She's dead."

Chloe gulped. "I don't know how it feels when you care about…" she paused. "Loved… dies." Sam shook quietly as he listened to her. "But I do know what it feels like to look for someone and not find them."

"No…" he protested weakly.

"Sam, I've been looking for mom since she left." Chloe sobbed slightly. "If I ever got a call from her, of course I'd run off to find her."

"So you know why…" Sam spoke quietly, alone on the highway. "..You know I have to do this."

"I just think that if your dad told you to do this… he wants you to save the couples and not chase him."

Sam growled. "Chloe…"

"I'm not telling you what to do." she whispered. "But Dean obviously trusts your dad enough to do this, and you should too. There's probably a reason he wants you in Burkitsville, not California."

Sam sat, silent for a few seconds before slamming the phone closed.

"You don't understand." he said, standing up and hoisting the bag over his shoulders, starting to walk down the road.

*

"You sure they didn't stop for gas or anything?" Dean asked, the flyer clenched in his hand as the man gazed at the people in the photo.

"Nope, I don't remember 'em." The man said, watching Dean. "You said they were friends of yours?"

"That's right."

The man almost spoke, and then paused, turning to watch a girl walk down the stairs, carrying some boxes.

"Did he have a tattoo?" she asked and Dean inconspicuously glanced at the photo.

"Yes, he did." Dean grinned.

The girl turned to what Dean assumed was her parents. "You remember?" Dean smirked. "They were married."

The man frowned, quickly schooling his face into a look of realisation. "You're right." He glanced at his wife. "They did stop for gas. But they weren't here for more than ten minutes."

Dean sighed. "You remember anything else?"

"I told 'em how to get to the Interstate. They left town."

"Could you point me in that same direction?" Dean asked, frowning.

"Sure."

An hour later, Dean was driving down the road, frowning as he gazed into the distance. He couldn't see anything vaguely bad that could be causing the disappearances.

Suddenly his phone began to ring and he frowned, pulling over. He grabbed his phone, flipping it over.

"Hello?" he growled.

"Dean?" it was a Chloe, and she sounded like she'd been crying.

"What?" his voice softened. "Look, I'm a bit busy Chloe but, what do you want?"

"If you're busy…" she paused. "Well, I don't what happened with you and Sam but you need to make up and get him back to Burkitsville. He's being a moron."

Dean grinned. "Well, yeah, but that's Sammy." he listened to Chloe's weak giggles. "Sometimes I wonder how he got into Stanford."

"Stanford?"

"Of course, Stanford's for geeks, so I dragged him with me." Dean laughed. "Took some persuading but, look at him now."

"Dean?" she paused. "Look at him now?"

"Yeah. Now he's still a geek, but at least he's got a gun on him."

She laughed slightly. "Dean?" she asked again. "Who's Jess?"

Dean frowned. "Where did you hear that?"

"She's dead isn't she?" She asked. "Who is she?"

Dean gaped, unsure what to say, and then he frowned, hearing a buzzing from the backseat. "Look, Chloe, I have to go."

"What?" she gasped. "But Dean…"

"Look, it's probably best that Sam tells you." Dean said, before hanging up and bending into the backseat. He rummaged through his bag, grabbing the EMF. It was beeping frantically.

He sighed, getting out the car and locking it. He looked through the trees, before grimacing and starting to push through the orchard. Holding the EMF out in front of him, he walked into a small clearing. In the centre was a scarecrow. Dean stared at it, moving closer so that he could see its face.

"Dude." he winced. "You're fugly."

Dean looked more carefully at it, his eyes tracing the sickle in the scarecrow's hand. As his gaze moved onto the scarecrows arm, he paused, spotting a strange design on it. Grimacing, he looked round, spotting a ladder leaning against a tree.

He grabbed it, adjusting it so that it balanced against the scarecrow before climbing up. He flinched at the scarecrow's face before moving the sleeve of its shirt so that he could see its arm. He stared at the pattern and then pulled the missing persons flyer from his jacket.

The symbols matched.

"Nice tat." Dean growled, climbing back down the ladder and returning back through the orchard and into the Impala.

He started the engine and turned, heading back into Burkitsville.

Eventually, he pulled up at the gas station, stepping out the car and catching sight of the young girl from before. She was standing by the gas pumps, staring at him.

"You're back?" she asked.

"Never left."

Dean noticed the nametag hanging round her neck and grinned. "You mind filling her up there, Emily?" She nodded, grabbing a pump and starting to fill up the tank of the Impala. "So, you grew up here?"

She nodded again. "I came here when I was thirteen. I lost my parents." she paused. "Car accident. My aunt and uncle took me in."

"They're nice people."

Emily sighed. "Everyone's nice here."

"So, what, it's like the perfect little town?"

"Well, you, it's the boonies." she smiled slightly. "But I love it. I mean the towns around us; people are losing their homes, their farms. But here, it's almost like we're blessed."

Dean watched her take the pump out of the Impala. "Hey, you been to the orchard?" he asked. "You seen the scarecrow?"

"Yeah." she glanced at him. "It creeps me out."

Dean laughed. "Whose is it?"

"I don't know." she grinned. "It's just always been there."

Dean frowned, gazing round the community and wondering what was going on with the scarecrow. His eyebrow furrowed as he spotted a red van, something that hadn't been there earlier. "That your aunt and uncles?"

"Customer." Emily told him. "Had some car troubles."

"It's a not a couple, is it?" he asked. "A guy and girl?"

Emily nodded, and Dean frowned with worry, peering through the shop windows as he attempted to see the couple.

"Well, thanks." he said, handing her a tip and getting back into the Impala.

*

"Sorry," the clerk said, staring at Sam. "The Sacramento bus doesn't run again til tomorrow." She moved her gaze from his face and checked the schedule. "5.05 pm."

Sam groaned. "Tomorrow?" he asked. "There's got to be another way."

She frowned. "Well, there is. Buy a car."

Sam shot her an annoyed look before turning away from her, quickly glancing round the bus station. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, considering calling Dean and going to Burkitsville.

"Hey."

Sam looked around, confused, spotting someone waving at him. His eyes widened in recognition and he put away his phone, striding over towards the blonde girl.

"Hey." he greeted.

"You again." she said.

"What happened to your ride?" he asked the hitchhiker.

"You were right." she grinned at him. "That guy was shady. He was all hands." Sam raised an eyebrow. "I cut him loose." Sam zoned out, glancing round the room, disappointed that he couldn't get to his dad, to California. She waved a hand in front of his eyes. "What's the matter?"

"Just trying to get to California." Sam sighed.

"No way." she breathed, surprised.

"Yeah."

"Me too." she stood up, the top of her head at the same level as Sam's shoulders. "You know the next bus isn't until tomorrow."

"Yeah." Sam groaned. "That's the problem."

"Why?" she asked. "What's in Cali that's so important?"

Sam glanced at her, trying to decide how much he could trust her. "Just something I've been looking for." he told her. "For a long time."

"Well then, I'm sure it can wait one more day, right?" she grinned. Sam laughed. She extended her hand towards him and Sam grabbed it, shaking it. "I'm Meg."

"Sam."

*

Dean sat in the Impala, watching the new couple sitting in Scotty's Diner. He frowned as Scotty handed them some pie, walking away from them. Dean frowned, finally getting out the car and stalking into the diner.

"Hey, Scotty." he grinned. "Can I get a coffee, black?" Scotty turned towards him, a strange expression on his face. "Oh, and some of that pie too, while you're at it." Dean sat down on the table next to the couples, watching them carefully. "How you doing?" he asked them and they smiled politely, waving at him. "Just passing through?"

"Road trip." the girl grinned.

"Yeah, me too." Dean told them.

They nodded courteously, watching as Scotty refilled their cider and turned to Dean. "I'm sure these people want to eat in peace."

"Just a friendly conversation." Scotty growled, almost inaudibly, before leaving. "Oh, and that coffee too man. Thanks." Scotty fidgeted, Dean turning back to the couple. "So what brings you to town?"

"We just stopped for gas." the girl smiled again, seeming more eager to talk to Dean than her boyfriend. "And, um, the guy at the gas station saved our lives."

"Is that right?"

"Yeah, one of our brake lines was leaking." said the man. "We had no idea. He was fixing it for us."

Dean scowled, concerned. "Nice people."

"Yeah."

"So, how long until you're up and running?"

"Sundown."

"Really?" Dean concentrated for a minute, looking at the couple in confusion. "To fix a brake line?" The man nodded. "I mean, you know, I know a thing or two about cars. I could probably have you up and running in about an hour. I wouldn't charge you anything."

The girl glanced at him. "You know thanks a lot, but I think we'd rather have a mechanic do it."

Dean grimaced. "Sure, I know." he paused. "It's just that these roads. They're not real safe at night."

"I'm sorry?"

"I know it sounds strange, but, uh – you might be in danger."

The man rolled his eyes, looking annoyed. "Look, we're trying to eat, okay?"

"Yeah." Dean sighed, disappointed. "You know, my brother could give you this puppy dog look and you'd just buy right into it."

He stared at the table, hearing the bell ring as the door opened and Scotty came out from a back room.

"Thanks for coming, Sheriff." Scotty said.

Dean tensed, his eyes darting to Scotty and the Sheriff, and then he growled in frustration. Scotty smirked, whispering something in the Sheriff's ear and pointing at Dean. The Sheriff nodded and walked over.

"I'd like a word please."

"Come on." Dean muttered. "I'm having a bad day already."

"You know what would make it worse?" The Sheriff asked, having heard him. Dean nodded slowly, standing up and walking out of the diner.

The Sheriff escorted him to his car, then followed him out of Burkitsville, ensuring he didn't come back.

Dean cursed, watching as the Sheriff finally turned back to Burkitsville.

*

Chloe arrived at the Beanery, one hand gripped around her phone. She glanced round, hoping for a sight of Clark.

He saw her first, waving to her. She grinned, running over. Then she frowned, noting that Lana Lang was with him.

"What are you doing here?" Chloe asked, trying not to sound upset.

"She's upset." Clark answered for Lana. "The old guy she was supposed to be looking after has gone missing."

Chloe stared at Lana in shock. "What?" Lana sniffled. "You were working with the old people, like Clark and Pete?"

Lana nodded, and Chloe cast an exasperated look at Clark. He shrugged innocently, putting a hand on Chloe's arm and leading her into the coffee shop.

"Lana." Chloe said, looking at the ex-cheerleader. "It's not your fault."

Lana stared at her in shock as they slid into subsequent seats, Clark opposite the girls. "Do you know anyone who's lost an entire old person in a wheelchair?"

"No." Chloe laughed as Lana shot her a glare. "That's pretty impressive, even by Smallville standards."

"Maybe he was kidnapped." suggested Clark.

"Who'd want to kidnap Harry?" Lana whined. "He's just a harmless old man."

Chloe grinned, leaning towards Clark. "Maybe a koi turned into a piranha and ate him."

Clark smiled, shaking his head at Chloe's joke. Lana just watched them, not sure what Chloe was talking about.

"You asked for my help." Chloe raised her hands, her eyes wide. "I'm just thinking outside the box."

"I like your theory." said a boy opposite them and Chloe frowned. Clark looked annoyed that someone had eavesdropped, turning to look at the blonde boy.

"You know," snarled Chloe. "You might want to work on your eavesdropping skills."

The boy's eyes widened. "Sorry. I'm new in town." Chloe nodded slowly. "I just heard this is where young people congregate."

Lana smiled, her hand covering her mouth as she tried to conceal her giggles. Chloe grimaced.

"Yeah." she said, sarcastically. "We congregate here often."

Clark glared at Chloe quickly, turning round in his seat to face the man. He held his hand out for a handshake but the man ignored him.

"Hi, I'm Clark." he smiled. "The rude one's Chloe and this is.…"

"Lana Lang." he interrupted and Lana stared in surprise. "The nametag was a big clue."

Lana looked down, seeing that she was still wearing her stick-on nametag from earlier that day.

"So…good luck finding your missing old person."

Chloe exchanged uncomfortable glances with Lana, glad when the man was distracted by the waitress.

"Enjoy your coffee." she said, amused. "They brought it in by burro this morning."

"Thanks honey." said the boy. "You're a doll."

Lana's eyes widened and she stood up with a glance at the boy. Chloe joined her, and they walked out. "Are we leaving because of the weirdo?" she asked.

Lana nodded, allowing Clark to put a hand on her shoulder. Chloe stared. "Well, bye guys." she grinned slightly. "I have to make a few calls and I'll look into Harry."

Lana smiled, waving goodbye as Clark nodded.

Chloe walked away from them, rubbed her eyes before sighing. She couldn't believe Clark was hanging out with Lana. She knew he liked her but she never expected anything to happen.

*

"So, what, are you some kind of vacation or something?" Sam asked, watching as Meg laughed.

"Yeah, right." She laughed, and Sam joined in. "No, I had to get away from my family."

"Why?"

"I love my parents. And they wanted what's best for me." she glanced at Sam, who was watching her intently. "They just didn't care if I wanted it. I was supposed to be smart. But not smart enough to scare away a husband." Sam smiled. "It's just … because my family said so, I was supposed to sit there and do what I was told. So I just went on my own way instead." Sam watched her, amazed she trusted him. "I'm sorry. The things you say to people you hardly know."

"No. It's okay." Sam held his phone tightly. "Remember that brother I mentioned, that I was road-tripping with." Meg nodded. "It's kind of the same deal."

"And that's why you're not road-tripping with him anymore." Sam nodded, grinning as Meg raised her beer bottle. "Here's to us. The food might be bad and the beds might be hard. But at least we're living our own lives. And nobody else's!"

Sam tapped his own bottle against hers, drinking deeply.

*

Dean heard the screaming before he saw the red van. He swore, pulling over and leaping out the car. He grabbed his shotgun, pelting through the orchard until he saw the scarecrow chasing the couple.

"Get back to your car!" he shouted, and they stopped, turning to see the scarecrow approaching them. "Go! Go!" They started running again, past Dean, who cocked his gun and shot the scarecrow.

It stumbled but kept walking toward him. Dean cursed, turning to run, shooting one more time. He caught up with the couple, shooting a few more rounds over his shoulder. "Go!" he yelled, panting until they stumbled out to the road.

"What the hell was that?" the man asked, panting.

"Don't ask."

*

Pete pulled over and Chloe got out the car, mumbling angrily. "Who does Clark Kent think he is?" she asked Pete, who shrugged, gathering the papers from the back seat. "I can't believe he stood us up."

Pete nodded, slinging his free arm round her shoulders as they entered the Kent Barn. Chloe smiled, walking up the wooden stairs.

"Clark, we got your message." she said, watching him stare out of his window.

"Where were you?" Pete asked calmly. "What happened? I thought we were all supposed to meet at the Torch."

Clark smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry." His eyes widened into his puppy-dog face. "I didn't mean to blow off you guys."

Chloe shook her head, still annoyed. "Will the lovely Miss Lang be joining us?" she asked.

"No." Clark smiled at her. "I think she had enough weirdness for one day." He pointed to the papers under Pete's arm. "What've you got?"

"A guy was found dead in his house. He was blindfolded and strangled with a piano wire." Pete read, gulping.

"Which is the same signature Harry Volk used in 1945." Chloe added, snatching the paper from Pete and handing it to Clark.

"Sounds like a copy-cat." Clark said.

"A copy-cat of murder that happened 60 years ago, two days after the original killer happened to disappear? I don't think so."

"Harry's in a wheelchair." Clark told her. "Not exactly in prime condition to go on a crime spree."

Chloe rolled her eyes, ready to tell Clark the theory she'd been working on since she discovered that the missing man was an old murderer. She pulled a yellowing page from under Pete's arm. Clark grabbed his jacket and then the paper, studying it.

"It looks like the kid we saw in the Beanery." Clark said, surprised, showing the picture to Pete.

"Maybe he's got a grandson or something."

"Or…" Chloe paused, watching the boys carefully. "Maybe it's Harry."

"I don't think we should start looking for time machines just yet." Clark smiled.

"Ok, fine. Where do you think we should start?"

"If someone _is_ following in Harry's footsteps, maybe they sent him some fan mail."

Chloe grinned, following them to Pete's car and climbing in. Pete smiled, pulling away from the Kent farm and speeding to the retirement centre.

They got out the car and walked into the centre, stopping to look around.

"What happens if someone sees us searching Harry's room?" she asked, worried and Clark glanced at her.

"How about we don't get seen?" Clark decided, preparing to head to his room.

"Clark, is that you?" someone called and Chloe grimaced, turning to see an old woman waving at Clark. Clark smiled and Chloe shot him a confused expression.

"Harry's room is down the hallway." Clark told them, pointing them in the right direction.

Chloe and Pete walked away, hoping they found the right room, when Chloe's phone rang. She tensed, checking the caller id.

"Pete," she instructed. "I have to take this. If you find anything, call me." Pete stared at her. "I shouldn't be too long."

Pete nodded slowly, walking away and Chloe ducked into an empty room, locking the door.

"Dean?" she asked. "Hi."

"Chloe, do you know what we do?" he asked, sounding worried.

"You investigate things." she said. "I don't know what you investigate but you travel round America and end up in weird situations with dead psychiatrists affecting your minds."

"Right…" he paused. "We hunt things."

"Hunt?" Chloe asked. "Hunt what?"

"Ghosts, demons, evil things." Dean said, sounding nervous about telling her. Chloe froze.

"The supernatural?" she asked, quietly, unsure about how to react. Half of her wanted to hang up; the other half believed him and kept reminding her of her theory that a 77 year old man had suddenly become young again. "Right…"

She heard Dean exhale in relief. "And I need your help."

"Wait." she said suddenly. "So, Ellicott, you were trying to get rid of his spirit. And you're in Burkitsville doing…"

"That's exactly it Chloe." Dean said. "We have a scarecrow killing couples."

Chloe dropped her phone, cursed and picked it up again. "Like staying still and killing couples or like an evil version of the scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz."

"Wizard of Oz one. But a lot fuglier." Dean said and Chloe's eyes widened.

"The scarecrow climbed off its cross?"

"Yeah, I'm telling you." Dean said and Chloe listened in shock. "Burkitsville, Indiana. Fun town."

"Is that what's been killing the couples?" she asked. "Was there a couple there?"

"No." Dean sighed. "I can cope without Sam you know."

"So what?" Chloe felt uncomfortable. This wasn't her normal thing. "Something could have animated it?"

"Yeah." Dean laughed. "Considering you haven't done this before, you're doing well."

"I'm a reporter." Chloe said. "A spirit?"

"It's more than a spirit." Dean sighed. "It's a god, a Pagan God."

Chloe's jaw dropped. "Dean, meteor rocks are my thing, not _gods_."

*

Sam's phone rung and he grimaced, thinking that it was probably Dean. He glanced at Meg before holding up one finger then answering it, walking outside.

"Hi Sam."

"Chloe?" His eyes widened before he frowned. "Look, don't tell me you've called to ask me to go back to Burkitsville again."

There was silence. "Dean told me to call you."

Sam rolled his eyes. Leave it to Dean to use Chloe as the messenger. "Why?"

"It's about the hunt."

"You know?" Sam asked, eyes wide. "Did Dean tell you?"

"Yeah." Chloe sounded confused. "I only believed him because I've heard you say some weird things, and I've _heard_ you being attacked by a dead psychiatrist. I've seen my share of weird things; I just didn't know it was just as weird outside Smallville."

"Chloe… you don't need to do this." Sam said.

"I love weird things." Chloe said, "I'm not going to start hunting weird things. Meteor freaks are enough for me – hearing your stories freak me out enough, I'd prefer not to be in the middle of it."

Sam laughed slightly.

"Dean told me to tell you that it's a Pagan God."

"What makes him say that?" Sam asked.

"The annual cycle of its killings." Chloe said, sounding like she was reading something to him. "The fact that the victims are always a man and a woman, like some kind of … fertility rite." She laughed nervously. "And Dean said that they treated this couple like they were fattening them up for Christmas Dinner."

"The last meal." Sam said. "Given to sacrificial victims."

"Dean thinks it's a ritual sacrifice to appease some Pagan God. The god possesses the scarecrow…"

Sam interrupted. "Scarecrow?"

"Oh yeah, Dean thinks the god is animating the scarecrow so it becomes like an evil Wizard of Oz style scarecrow."

"What, sings and dances?"

"It gets down from its cross. Then it takes its sacrifice. For another year, the crops won't wilt and disease won't spread."

"Do you know what god it is?"

"No, not yet." Chloe sighed. "I need to research it but I've been a bit busy hunting down a murderer."

Sam chose to ignore that. "Well, if you figure out what it is, Dean can figure out a way to kill it."

"I know. Dean's told me to call the local community college to talk to a professor. He said that he didn't have his trusty sidekick geek boy to do the research so he'd have to get me to do it."

"You know, if he's hinting he needs my help, he just needs to ask."

"I don't know if he's willing to admit that." Chloe laughed. "But I'm sure your help would be appreciated."

"Chloe?" Sam asked. "When I've found dad, I'll come back to Smallville."

Sam didn't know if Chloe heard him, because suddenly she was panicking. "Sorry, Sam, Pete wants me." Sam frowned. "I have to go, see you later!"

Then she hung up and Sam walked back inside. Meg was sitting alone, waiting for him.

"Who was that?" she asked.

"Chloe." Sam smiled slightly and Meg glanced at him in shock.

"Chloe?" she asked.

"Never mind."

*

Chloe finally entered Harry's room, spotting Pete halfway under the bed.

"Find anything?" she asked, picking up a large box from the bed and beginning to rifle through it.

"Who were you talking to?" Pete asked, his voice muffled.

"Sam." she said. "Dean and him are investigating something in Indiana."

"What?"

"They may be my friends, but that doesn't mean that they tell me their investigating business." she laughed.

Chloe laughed as she heard Pete mutter something along the lines of 'They're too old to be your friends' before coming out from under the bed and turning to the dresser drawers.

"Pete," she sighed. "Sam's only twenty. That's a year younger than Lex, Clark's other best friend, and yeah, Dean's twenty-four, but… he's cool."

Pete rolled his eyes, looking unhappy at the mention of her and Clark's other friends. Chloe was going to tell him not to be jealous when Clark entered the room.

"You guys have any luck?" he asked and Pete shot an angry look at Chloe, clearly blaming her for their lack of success.

"No fan mail." Chloe said. "Just a bunch of old news clippings from The Smallville Ledger… obituaries, articles."

She pulled a handful out of the box and handed them to Clark.

"The guy's been obsessed with Smallville for 50 years." added Pete.

Clark didn't say anything, and just frowned at the article he was reading.

"Clark, is something wrong?" Chloe asked.

"It's her." Clark whispered and Chloe glanced at Pete in confusion.

"It's who?"

"I got to go."

Clark ran out the room, Pete and Chloe trying to keep up with him. He turned a corner in front of them and by the time Chloe had rounded it, he was gone.

She stopped, panting, before turning to Pete.

"Where has he _gone_?"

*

"I don't need your help." Dean's voice crackled through the speaker of Sam's phone. "Actually, I want you to know … I mean, don't think…"

Sam frowned, listening to his brother. "I'm sorry too."

"Sam. You were right." Dean said suddenly. "You have to do your own thing. You got to live your life."

"You serious?" Sam asked, staring at his phone in shock. "Did Chloe put you up to this?"

"You've always known what you want, and you go after it." Dean said his voice quiet. "You stand up to Dad, and you always have. Hell, I wish … anyway, I admire that about you. I'm proud of you, Sammy."

Sam's eyes widened. "I don't even know what to say."

"Say you'll take of yourself."

"I will."

"Call me when you find dad."

Sam looked down before speaking. "Ok. Bye Dean." he paused. "If you see Chloe, tell her I'm sorry."

There was silence. "Yeah…" Sam could feel Dean grinning. "And I'll say you miss her."

"Dean!"

He had hung up. Sam looked round the large station, noting when Meg stirred, opening her eyes to stare at him.

"And who was that?" she asked, her voice filled with sleep.

"My brother."

"What'd he say?"

Sam looked away from her, his grip on the phone tightening. "Goodbye."

*

Chloe sat in the Torch office, the phone by her ear, as she waited for the Burkitsville Professor to pick up the phone.

She frowned, wondering why Dean couldn't have done it himself. Her computer was on, displaying various pictures from a well-known text book.

He picked up and she started.

"Hello?" she asked. "Oh, hi, I'm Chloe Sullivan, and I'm considering studying … pagan gods … at your college in the following year."

"Oh really?" the professor asked.

"Yeah, I just was wondering what you looked at regarding … wood gods." Chloe knew that she was lying very badly. She flicked through the pictures on screen.

"Wood gods?" he asked. "Well, let's see."

She clicked one more time and an old black and white image appeared on the screen. "Wait," she murmured, zooming in to see the drawing of the scarecrow. "What's a Vanir?"

"That's not a wood god." The Professor said. "In the text book it says that the Vanir were Norse gods of protection and prosperity, keeping their local settlements safe from harm. Some villages build effigies of Vanir in their fields whilst others practiced human sacrifice."

"One male and one female?" she asked. "I have a picture up on my computer… it looks like a scarecrow."

"I suppose."

"It says underneath it that most Vanir gain their energy from a sacred tree."

The Professor laughed. "Well, Pagans believed all sorts of things were infused with magic."

"So what if the sacred tree was torched? Do you think it would … kill the god?"

"These are just legends we're discussing." The Professor laughed.

"Of course. Thank you so much." Chloe simpered down the phone. "Your course sounds so interesting. I hope to see you next year."

"Glad I could help."

She hung up, grabbing her mobile and texting Dean everything she knew.

*

Dean read Chloe's text, grinning, before he deleted it. "Right." he said. "Torch the sacred tree."

He grimaced. "That'll be fun."

He grabbed the room keys and stepped out; hoping for a coffee, when he felt something hit the back of his head and everything went dark.

*

Meg came bounding into the station, a grin across her face. Sam smiled back, realising the bus had arrived.

He stood up, grabbing his bag then pausing. His phone was ringing. He looked at Meg, before answering it.

"Chloe?" he asked,

"Thank god." she breathed. "Sam, I've called Dean 15 times in the last three hours and he hasn't picked up. I keep getting his voicemail. He never has his phone off."

"I'm sure he's fine."

"I texted him 3 hours ago with all the important info for this hunt. He hasn't replied and he always has his phone on him when he's hunting."

"I'll try him." She hung up and Sam quickly called Dean, ignoring Meg's exasperated look. Dean didn't pick up and Sam swore.

"Hey." Meg said suddenly. "Our bus came in."

Sam nearly rolled his eyes. "You better catch it." he told her. "I gotta go."

"Go where?"

"Burkitsville."

"Sam." she said. "Wait."

Sam turned, suddenly worried and frustrated. "Chloe's been trying to call my brother for the last three hours and she's just getting his voicemail."

"Well, maybe his phone's turned off or Chloe's just trying to make you one big happy family again."

"No, I tried his phone. Meg, I think he might be in trouble."

Meg stared at him. "What kind of trouble?"

"I can't explain now. I'm sorry, look; I don't want you to miss the bus."

"But I don't understand." Meg said slowly. "You're running back to your brother? The guy you ran away from? Why, because some girl, sorry, I mean _Chloe_, says he won't pick up? Come to California."

"I can't." Sam shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"Why not?"

"He's my family."

Sam walked away.

*

Clark pretended to ignore how tight Chloe's grip was on the mouse, or how often she looked at her mobile phone.

She sighed, and he looked at her intently. She caught his eye and looked up. "This is everything I could find on Harry Volk. The Ledger carried stories on the trial, the murder, the investigation… you name it."

"Is anybody watching this guy?"

"Lana's got an eye on him."Clark told them. Chloe snorted, having absolutely no confidence in Lana. "I heard that."

"What exactly are we looking for?" Pete asked.

"I dunno. There's got to be a connection between the people Harry's going after."

Chloe glanced at her phone again. "In Zoë Garfield's statement to the police, she said that harry accused her grandmother of killing his future."

Clark frowned, sitting down next to Chloe as Lana entered the room, looking flustered. "Harry's gone." she said, scared. "They found his wheelchair out by the koi pond half an hour ago."

Clark tensed, turning to look at Chloe. "I saw meteor rocks in that pond."

"At least now we know how he's doing the time warp." Chloe said.

"What do you mean?" asked Lana.

"I'll explain later." Clark brushed her off and turned back to Chloe. "We have to figure out who he's going to kill next."

Chloe nodded, reading through a few articles. "Clark," she said suddenly, concerned as she saw Hiram Kent's name listed alongside the ancestors of the more recent victims. "Take a look at this."

"What is it?"

Chloe handed him the old issue. "It's a list of the jurors who worked on Harry's trial."

Clark nodded, reading from it. "Rudolph Gage, Eve Garfield…" he looked up in shock. "He's killing the descendents of the jurors that convicted him."

"Talk about not letting go." Pete piped up.

Clark's eyes widened as he studied the list, his grip tightening.

"Clark, what is it?" Lana asked and he looked at her.

"Look at juror number eleven."

He handed Lana the paper and she read it quickly. "Hiram Kent. Wasn't that your grandfather?"

"Harry's going to kill my dad." Clark gasped, turning and running out the room. Chloe's eyes widened as Lana and Pete followed him. She grasped her phone in her hand, hoping that Clark, Jonathan, Sam and Dean would all be alright.

*

Dean woke up to darkness, and the sound of repeated 'I don't understand's. He turned, hoping he knew the girl who was worrying.

"Emily?" he asked and she stopped whimpering.

"They're going to kill us." she stated, choking.

"Sacrifice us. Which is, you know, classier, I guess?" he said, not really bothering to sugar-coat it now. "You didn't really know anything about this, did you?"

"About what? The scarecrow god? I can't believe this."

"Well, you better start believing it." Dean told her, and her eyes widened. "Because I'm going to need your help."

"Okay." she nodded slightly.

"Now, we can destroy the scarecrow." Dean said, thanking god that he'd got Chloe's text in time. "But we gotta find the tree."

"What tree?"

"Maybe you can help me with that." Dean said. "It would be really old. The locals would treat it with a lot of respect, you know, like it was sacred."

Emily looked at him in shock. "There was this one tree. The immigrants brought it over with them. They call it the first tree."

"Is it in the orchard?"

"Yeah. I don't know where."

Dean grimaced, watching as the cellar opened and four elders came in, one of them being Emily's aunt.

"It's time." she said.

Soon enough, Dean found himself eye to eye with the sheriff as he was tied to the tree. "How many people have you killed Sheriff?" he snarled. "How much blood is on your hands?"

"We don't kill them." said the sheriff.

"No, but you sure cover up after. I mean, how many cars have you hidden, clothes have you buried?"

The sheriff walked away, while Emily tried to beg with the man that was tying her up.

"Uncle Harley, please." She sobbed.

"I am so sorry, Em." he said. "I wish it wasn't you."

"Try to understand." said her aunt. "It's our responsibility. And there's just no other choice. There's nobody else but you."

"I'm family." Emily whispered.

"Sweetheart, that's what sacrifice means. Giving up something you love for the greater good." Dean snorted. "The town needs to be safe. The good of many outweighs the good of the one."

They started to walk away and Dean frowned, shouting after them. "I hope your freaking apple pie's worth it."

"So, what's the plan?" Emily asked quietly and Dean stared at her in shock.

"I'm working on it."

*

"You don't have a plan, do you?"

Dean panicked, trying to keep the scarecrow within his eyesight. "I'm working on it." he said, worried. "Can you see?"

"What?"

"Is he moving yet?"

"I can't see." Emily said, noticing a shadow moving near the trees. "Oh my god." she whispered, as it moved closer, not noticing Dean trying to untie his rope. "Oh my god!" she screamed as Sam came out from behind the tree.

"Dean?"

Dean grinned. "Oh! I take back everything I said. I'm so happy to see you." Sam raised an eyebrow. "Come on." Sam smiled, going to untie Dean. "How'd you get here?"

"Chloe called me and I- uh – I stole a car."

"That's my boy!" Dean smiled, standing up and directing Sam over to Emily. "And keep an eye on that scarecrow. He could come alive any minute."

"What scarecrow?"

Dean turned, and cursed. The post was empty.

He helped Sam pull up Emily, and then they ran.

"Alright, now, this scared tree you're talking about…." Sam panted.

"It's the source of power."

"So let's find it and burn it."

"In the morning." Dean told Sam, pulling Emily along with them. "Let's just run before Leather Face catches up."

They reached a clearing and stopped, the elders and townspeople surrounding them. Emily stepped in front of the brothers.

"Please, let us go." she begged.

"It'll be over quickly." Harley told her. "I promise."

"Please."

"Emily, you have to let him take you. You have to-"

Suddenly, the scarecrow thrust his sickle into Harley's stomach. The girls screamed, Emily running into Dean's arms. Soon her aunt was captured and it dragged her away. The rest of the townspeople ran away in fright.

Dean let go of Emily, sharing an annoyed look with Sam. "Come on, let's go."

*

Sam put the gasoline down by the tree, examining the mark on it. He looked at Dean, who nodded. Sam picked up the gasoline, pouring it over the tree. Dean grabbed a stick, lighting it and handing it to Emily.

She smiled.

"You know the whole town's going to die." Dean told her.

"Good." she threw the branch on to the tree and they stood back, watching it go up in flames.

*

Dean waved as Emily got onto the bus and then he leaned against the car, watching it leave.

"Think she's going to be alright?" Sam asked.

"I hope so." Dan grinned.

"And the rest of the townspeople, they'll just get away with it?"

"Well, what'll happen to the town will have to be punishment enough." Dean opened the door, climbing into the driver's seat. "So can I drop you off somewhere?"

"No, I think you're stuck with me."

Dean grinned. "What made you change your mind?"

"I didn't." Sam frowned. "I still want to find dad. And you're still a pain in the ass." Dean nodded. "But Jess and mom, they're both gone. Dad is god know where. You and me. We're all that's left. So, if we're going to see this through, we're going to do this together."

"Hold me, Sam." Dean simpered. "That was beautiful." He laid a hand on Sam's shoulder, laughing as Sam whacked it away.

"You should be kissing my ass, you were dead meat dude."

"Yeah, right. I had a plan." Dean smirked "I'd have gotten out."

"Right." Sam laughed, Dean pulled away from the bus stop, starting up Iron Maiden and tapping along with the beat. "So, where we going?"

Dean glanced at Sam. "I was thinking Smallville."

* * *

**Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.**

**-Artjuice-**


	7. Craving

**Thanks for reviewing: miki, raven, Moony92, Carol Alves and cowboykelly17**

Craving

The lights flickered on one by one, lighting up the greenhouse. Sam sat up, looking around quickly.

Groaning, he stood up, his head throbbing as he stared through the dim room. He glanced at the various vegetable plants in confusion. He approached one of the large tables, wondering why he was in a greenhouse and how he had got there.

He pulled his fingers through the soil, frowning as he caught his hands on a small rock. He grabbed it, lifting it out the soil and wincing at the familiar green meteor rock.

He raised his head, looking round once more, his head aching more than ever.

The pain increased and he fell to his knees, unsure what was going on. Then it all went black.

*

Chloe stared blankly at the board, waiting for the bell to ring. It rang and she grinned, grabbing Pete's arm and pulling him across the classroom. She stopped in front of a ginger girl's desk, looking down as the girl cut the head off the photo of a supermodel.

She frowned at Pete, before turning back and pasting her largest smile on.

"Cutting heads off supermodels?" she said, chuckling. "It's kind of redundant, isn't it?"

Their classmate smiled up at them nervously, closing the book. "Just thinking of outfit ideas."

Pete quickly looked at the girl, and then tried to open the other magazine lying on the table. She glared at him and snatched it away from the table, folding it and putting it in her bag.

"I still don't have anything to wear to Lana's party. What's up?" she added.

Chloe frowned at the mention of Lana's big party, but Pete nudged her and she smiled at the girl. "Uh, Pete and I were hoping you could give us a quick algebra download."

Pete reached for the scrap book that their classmate, Jodi, was using for her headless models but she snarled slightly at him and he withdrew his hand.

"I thought Clark usually helped you?" Jodi asked.

Chloe laughed. "Yeah, well, he's a little preoccupied helping the birthday girl."

Jodi's mouth rounded into an 'O' shape, but still looked down, unsure.

Chloe glanced at Pete in frustration. "Come on," she said, trying to be convincing. "We'll even buy you lunch."

Jodi nodded and stood up, the magazines and books in her hand. "Ok, just let me stop by my locker."

Chloe smiled, letting Jodi lead the way to the bright red locker. Jodi clicked it open and started to put away the books. Chloe sighed, pulling her phone out of her pocket and checking it for any messages. Nothing.

Pete made a small noise of disgust and Chloe looked up, watching in astonishment as Jodi poured a strange concoction into a cup before putting a thermos back into her locker.

"That looks…" Pete floundered for words to say. "…appetising."

Chloe grimaced, while Jodi smiled weakly at them. "Losing weight is never pretty." she said, watching as Chloe looked at her, noticing that Jodi was slightly overweight.

She took a sip then held the glass out to Pete, who stared at it before raising one hand to decline. Pete shook his head, catching sight of two jocks, one of them carrying a basketball. Pete waved slightly and they veered towards him.

"Hey, Ross," said one. "We're getting a little game together. You want in?" Pete frowned and the jock turned to Jodi, scanning her body then raising an eyebrow. "Or you want to keep whale-watching?"

Jodi looked down, embarrassed while Pete glared at his teammate. "Dustin, back off." He snarled.

Dustin laughed harshly. "Oh chill out, cool guy." He smirked. "I didn't know you were a chubby chaser."

He bounced the ball before throwing it at Jodi. It hit the lockers, rebounding and knocking Jodi's glass. The green liquid spilt all over Jodi, Chloe jumping back just in time. Pete caught the ball as it ricocheted, glowering at Dustin.

"Oh." Dustin said, pretending to look shocked before he started to laugh and point at Jodi.

She sobbed slightly, turning and running down the hall.

"Jodi!" Pete called after her. "Wait!"

"Oh man," Dustin snarled. "You'd think someone that big would have thicker skin."

Pete glared, throwing the basketball at Dustin and managing to hit him in the face.

Pete turned, walking away as Chloe laughed loudly. Dustin stared at her and she grinned. "You'd think someone that stupid would have a thicker head."

He stared, confused, and she glared before walking off towards the Torch.

*

Chloe sat in the kitchen, the folders for the next day's Torch spread in front of her. She grimaced, reading through her article on Harry Volk, and sighing.

She pushed it away, wishing that it would sound slightly more believable. She groaned, leaning her head on her hands.

She heard the door handle turn and the front door open. She looked up, turning her head so she faced down the hall.

Her jaw dropped as she saw the Winchesters standing in the hall. She pushed away from the table, running towards them and pulling them both into a hug. Dean tensed but Sam put an arm around her.

"I thought you weren't coming back." She said quietly. "I thought you'd found another hunt or your dad or..."

Dean pulled away smirking. "Sorry Chloe, Sam missed you."

Chloe laughed as Sam hit Dean over the head before leading her back through to the kitchen. She grinned. "So, what happened? Did you destroy the scarecrow?"

"Of course." Dean smirked.

"We couldn't have done it without you." Sam said suddenly. "If you hadn't called me, I wouldn't have saved Dean."

She smiled at Sam, pulling the articles back towards her. Sam lay his hand down on the book, grabbing the article on Harry and bringing it back towards him.

He started to read it, Dean watching him with interest as Sam glanced up at Chloe in shock. Dean raised an eyebrow, picking up another article.

"Ooh." Dean grinned. "Big news. Lang's having a party."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "My god, I'm sick of people going on about that."

Dean laughed. "You invited?"

"Everyone's invited." Chloe grinned, leaning across the table. "But, Dean, I'm more interested in this hunting thing you have going on."

Dean shook his head. "You don't need to know anymore than you already know."

Chloe frowned. "If you're not going to tell me anything, you know, like how to actually _kill_ ghosts, then what was the point in telling me anyway?"

"It was a good idea at the time."

"What?"

"I kind of needed help." Dean admitted. "If I need help on another hunt, I'll tell you more at the time."

"If we told you now," said Sam, smiling at her. "We'd have to kill you."

Chloe rolled her eyes, smiling slightly, but secretly annoyed that they wouldn't tell her. They sat in awkward silence.

"I really don't get why Lana's party so important," Chloe sighed, hating the quiet. "I mean, seriously, Jodi wants to lose weight to go." Chloe paused. "I might need a new dress..."

Dean sniggered. "Not a big deal?" he stated. "Even you want a new dress."

She smirked. "It's for pure journalistic interest." She said. "It's being held at the Luthor Palace."

Sam raised his eyebrows. "How much does it pay to rent _that_ out?"

*

"Clark, I'm telling you..." Pete grinned. "This is good news."

Clark turned to him in astonishment, his mouth hanging. "Kansas State gives Whitney a full scholarship and Lana gives him a tongue bath." He repeated, and Chloe laughed, relaxing in her seat as her best friends argued. "How is that good news?"

"Even I'm having a hard time following the skewed Ross logic." Chloe admitted, grinning innocently as Pete frowned at her.

"Lana's going to be _dateless _for her _own_ party." Pete said loudly.

Clark closed the Torch door. Chloe smirked, standing still as she scanned through the next day's articles.

"Hi, Pete."

Chloe looked up, noticing that someone had come through the door. Jodi was standing by herself, staring at Pete, who was grinning nervously at the red-haired girl.

"Jodi?" he asked, sounding shocked. She nodded, stepping closer. Chloe watched, amused.

Jodi reddened, unbuttoning her coat and revealing a new outfit. Chloe blinked, staring in shock. "You look..." Chloe said slowly, and Jodi nodded.

"Thinner?" Jodi prompted.

"I was still looking for a euphemism but..." Chloe smiled politely at her from behind the desk. "Yeah."

"Are you okay?" Clark asked, doing his typical 'worried for absolutely everyone' routine. Chloe laughed.

"Never better." Jodi giggled. "My diet's just starting to pay off so I bought some new clothes."

Chloe nodded as Pete stepped even closer to the red-headed girl. "You look great." Pete told her.

"Thanks for sticking up for me yesterday." Jodi said, glancing down at her feet. "Most people wouldn't have done that."

Pete glanced back at Chloe in shock, before scanning Jodi's thinner body and smiling happily. "Most people can't stand Dustin."

"Yeah." She laughed nervously. "Listen...I was wondering if...do you have a date for Lana's party?"

Chloe grimaced, before turning to Pete with interest as he stuttered. Jodi frowned, scared of a rejection. After a few minutes, Clark sniggered, poking Pete in the back. Pete glared quickly at Clark, and then returned to his dumbstruck state.

Chloe rolled her eyes, watching as Clark finally had enough of the tense silence. "No." He answered for Pete. "He's still free,"

"Would you like to go with me?" Jodi asked Pete.

He took a deep breath and this time Chloe poked him, sniggering. Pete didn't react.

"He'd love to." Clark replied and Pete nodded with him, wide-eyed.

Jodi smiled. "Well, great. Well, I'll see you later."

"Bye." Pete said softly, and she strutted out of the Torch office.

"I don't get it." Chloe said suddenly, staring at the door.

Pete turned to her, grinning. He leant over the computer. "Women dig me." he glared. "Get used to it."

"No." Chloe shook her head. "I mean Jodi. It's like she lost that weight overnight."

Clark looked at her, grinning. "Going to make that your front page?"

Chloe giggled. "Clark…"

"Seriously Chloe," Clark said. "If she could, half the school would be after that secret."

Chloe rolled her eyes, logging off the computer and nudging Pete to start him moving. "Come on."

*

"You know that Jodi girl I told you about?" Chloe asked, looking at the brothers over her pasta. "Yeah?" Dean grunted, and Chloe assumed that meant yes. "Well, she's lost so much weight."

Sam frowned. "Didn't she start dieting yesterday?"

"Exactly."

Dean slurped his spaghetti and Chloe paused, staring at him in disgust. He grinned, helping himself to seconds and mumbling something about pie.

Sam chuckled, "Well, I'm guessing she didn't eat like Dean."

Chloe smirked. "True, if you eat like Dean you can only put on weight."

Dean raised an eyebrow, finishing his food and straightening up. "What Chloe?" he asked. "Worried you won't be the best looking at the _party_?"

Chloe snorted, pushing her pasta away. "No, Dean. I'm not."

She gathered their plates and put them into the washing machine. She left the room, going to the living room and slumping on the sofa.

Sam joined her, flicking the TV on and watching the news. Chloe watched with a slight interest, before turning to Sam with a wide smile.

"Want to watch a movie?" she asked and he gazed at her in shock. She laughed. "Seriously? What's the look for?"

"You want to watch a movie?"

Chloe rolled her eyes as Dean decided to join them. "Yeah, Chloe." he said, teasingly. "A movie? On a school night?"

Sam laughed quietly. "We have…" Chloe slid off the sofa, crawling to the small pile of DVDs. "House on Haunted Hill, Chocolat, Scary Movie and X-Men."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Who's in them?"

"Taye Diggs is in Haunted Hill one, Johnny Depp's in Chocolat and Hugh Jackman's in X-Men." she answered. "Oh, and Carmen Electra's in Scary Movie."

Dean smirked lecherously. "My vote's for Scary Movie."

Sam rolled his eyes. "What are they about?"

"You seriously don't get out much do you?" she joked, turning the cases over. "Haunted Hill things about someone paying people to stay in an old asylum for a night and then…well, you can guess."

Sam shook his head. "I've had enough of asylums."

Dean nodded his agreement.

"Chocolat…is a sort of romance involving lots of chocolate and _gorgeous_ Johnny Depp." Dean gagged and Sam frowned. "X-Men…is a superhero movie."

Dean groaned. "Chloe…you and Sammy can have the girly movie night by yourselves." He started to walk away. "Just don't forget the ice cream."

Sam glowered as his brother left, while Chloe laughed. "Well then Sam, what do you want to watch?"

"You can pick." he answered and she beamed at him, reaching for the Chocolat box. Sam rolled his eyes, but allowed her to insert it into the DVD player.

"I'm warning you now." Chloe said, settling back on the sofa and leaning into Sam's side. "When Johnny Depp's on, don't interrupt my staring time."

*

Chloe woke up, tightly hugging Sam as if he were a teddy bear. She blushed, letting go quickly and jumping up from the sofa.

She walked rapidly to the kitchen, reddening when she saw Dean sitting there, a smirk across his face.

"I found this really interesting article in the Ledger." he said, "But when I came to find Sammy, I saw you two cuddling." He smirked. "I couldn't bear to wake you, I mean; it's rare for Sammy to sleep."

"Just pass the newspaper." she snapped, and Dean laughed loudly.

Sam walked into the kitchen, glancing between the two and then sitting down, massaging a crick in his neck.

"Sleep in an awkward position?" Dean continued.

"Shut up." she said, laying the newspaper in front of Sam. "Read that."

Sam nodded, scanning the article. "What? A deer became road kill?"

Chloe frowned and Dean whacked Sam over the head. "And you're the smart one?" Dean goaded, standing up and grabbing the Impala keys. "I think we should check it out."

Chloe nodded, adjusting her clothes and walking to the front door. "Cool." she agreed. "Just, I think we should stop somewhere first."

Dean grimaced, but brought the newspaper with him, following Chloe out of the front door and into the Impala. Sam joined them, scowling.

Dean drove them through the main street and past a few cornfields before Chloe pointed out a turn-off and they turned onto a dirt road.

Dean pulled up at a yellow house, laughing as he saw the red-barn next to it. "Come on, a _red_ barn?"

Chloe got out the car, walking over to the barn. The brothers followed her, entering the barn with amused looks. Chloe climbed up the stairs and saw Clark.

"Getting your morning Lana fix?" she asked, just as Sam and Dean came to the top of the staircase.

Clark straightened up and glared at Chloe, his gaze flicking from his friend to the brothers. "Chloe, don't you ever knock?"

Dean grinned as Chloe laughed. "It's a barn, Clark."

"Is there a reason you're here so early?" he asked, and Dean checked his watch, wincing at the digital display reading '5.30'. Sam rubbed his eyes, still tired. "Or do you just enjoy busting my chops?"

"A little of both." Chloe answered, stepping away from the brothers in order to be near Clark. "Did you hear about the accident last night? A deer was hit on Route 55."

"That's not exactly Wall of Weird material." Clark said, confused.

"Check out the paper." she gestured towards Dean, who tossed it over to Clark. "Animal Control said the deer died of unknown causes."

"So?" Clark scoffed.

"So…" Chloe glared at him. "No much unknown about a bumper travelling at 60 miles an hour."

"I'd love to run down theories with you, but I've got chores to do. I still haven't figured out what to get Lana for her birthday."

Dean blinked. "What? She rents the Luthor Castle and gets presents from everyone at the high school?" He muttered to Sam. "That's nothing more than a ploy to get presents."

Clark glared at them, pushing past in order to head down the stairs, Chloe at his heels.

"Well, you and your family know people at animal control, right?" she piped up and Clark started to walk faster.

"One of the perks of growing up on a farm." Clark said, hoping that Chloe would leave.

"Well, I was thinking maybe we could stop there before school." Chloe suggested. "You could use your pull. We could take a couple of pictures. I'll help you out with your gift-giving dilemma."

Clark stopped walking, seemingly thinking hard. "Okay." he gave in. "But I want it to be something unique."

Chloe laughed. "Just don't make it as unique as what you got me last year."

Clark nodded. "I'll meet you there." he said. "I just have to finish my chores."

Chloe nodded, leaving the barn and sitting back in the Impala. Dean and Sam joined her, Dean driving back into Smallville.

"Chloe." Sam said and she glanced at him, catching his eye through the front mirror. "You didn't have to get Clark involved."

"Me and Sam can con our way into anywhere." Dean added, pulling up at the Animal Control car park.

Chloe smirked. "Of course you can. Which is why you needed me to call the psychiatrist and the college professors?"

They sat in a comfortable silence, waiting for Clark to arrive.

"Chloe?" Sam asked. "What have you got Lana?"

Chloe smiled. "I got her the Interpreter of Maladies. It won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction last year."

Sam turned to face her, interested. "Really? I read that last year when I was a Stanford."

Chloe was about to reply when Clark knocked on the window. Dean frowned, climbing out the car and looking round for Clark's red truck.

"Kent?" he asked. "Where's your car?"

"Dad dropped me off." Clark said quickly, grabbing Chloe's hand to lead her into the building.

Dean and Sam followed, finding Clark talking to the receptionist behind the desk. Chloe grinned at them, grabbing Sam's arm as the receptionist led them through the doors into the main part of the building.

The receptionist walked away, and the four stood in the clinically-white corridor. Chloe suddenly grinned, bounding down the corridor and stopping in front a large window. She could see the covered body of the deer through the window.

Clark stood behind her, paling slightly at the thought of a corpse. Sam and Dean stood behind them, ready to go and see it, as to them, this was an ordinary occurrence.

Chloe took in a deep breath, relaxing. "Impressive lie, Clark." She said, her voice slightly shaky. "'Can I use your bathroom?'"

Clark smiled. "I can't believe we're creeping around looking for road kill."

Chloe grinned, glancing at Sam and giggling at his bored look. "The deer's in there." She stated, trying the door and grimacing when it wouldn't budge. "The door's locked. So, um, Sam? We'll go find a maintenance worker?"

Sam nodded, and started to walk away. Dean hung back, watching Clark out of the corner of his eye. Clark glanced round, before grabbing the door handle and pressing his finger against the lock. Dean heard a small clang as something fell to the floor, and Clark straightened up.

"Chloe." He called. "It's open."

She came back from around the corner, her eyebrows furrowed. Sam glanced from Clark to Dean with raised eyebrows. Dean nodded slightly as Chloe stared at the door.

"How did you do that?" she asked, and Clark smiled innocently.

"Kent Charm?" Clark suggested, stepping through into the room. Chloe followed, but Dean stopped, examining the keyhole – and frowning when there was nothing there.

Chloe pulled out her camera and Clark shut the shutters. Dean and Sam hung by the door, Dean picking up the lock from the floor and showing it to Sam.

"How'd he do that? He pushed the lock out the door." Dean told Sam. "He can't have super-strength as well as super-fire-resisting skills."

Sam whispered back, hoping the freshmen wouldn't hear him. "You saw him throw that Sean 10 meters into a lake."

"Lift it up." The brothers glanced up at Chloe's nervous voice. "Come on."

Clark frowned, lifting up the sheet as he blocked the deer from the brothers' view. Chloe gulped, staring at it in horror.

"Looks like jerky." She said, and Dean walked over to see it. Clark let the sheet fall so that it was no longer covered before stepping back, allowing Sam to see it as well.

Chloe looked round, grabbing the lab report from the trolley by the window and reading through it, before glancing up at the boys in disgust. "The lab report says the deer lost like 80% of its fat." She scanned the gaunt corpse, before swallowing. "It's like it's been liposuctioned to death."

Clark snorted, but turned to Chloe in disbelief. The brothers tried to search for other clues, hoping for a hunt. "What do you think it is?" Clark asked. "Some fat-sucking vampire in town?"

Chloe rolled her eyes, taking a picture of the body. "Clark..." she said, "This is Smallville, land of the weird, home of the strange."

*

Chloe left the classroom, her phone in one hand as she texted Sam. She walked through the corridors back to the Torch, grinning at Pete as he passed her. He smirked back, pulling her aside.

"Look, Chloe, I know you've got Torch business, but Clark and Lex are having a heart to heart in there." He said bitterly.

Chloe frowned. "Well," she glanced down the corridor. "I want to meet Lex, I guess." Pete frowned at her. "He's Clark's friend after all."

Pete rolled his eyes and walked away. Chloe watched him leave, heading towards the Torch. She paused at the door, hearing an unfamiliar voice.

"It doesn't matter." It said. "Clark, it happened. Personally, I think my life's going to be brighter than that spoiled, little rich brat who walked into that cornfield."

Chloe frowned, not understanding and she frowned, listening to the awkward silence. Groaning, she walked in, pasting a smile on her face.

She stopped, confused, when she saw Lex Luthor staring at the Wall of Weird. "Mr Luthor?"

He turned, smiling. "Lex." He corrected and she smiled nervously as he stepped towards her. He held out his hand and Chloe shook it. "Clark was just telling me about your meteor theory." Chloe shot an angry look at Clark, but Lex smirked. "I like it. Especially since people think my company is secretly behind everything that goes wrong in Smallville."

Chloe laughed. "That's the reigning theory."

"Are you the only one who blames the meteors instead of me?"

"Pretty much." Chloe paused, thinking for a second, before she shook her head. "Well, there is Doctor Hamilton."

"Except most people don't have much regard for a guy who sells plastic meteor chips to tourists." Clark added, chuckling.

Lex winced. "Doesn't exactly inspire confidence." Clark shook his head while Chloe grinned in agreement. "Call me when you're looking for a summer job. I've got friends over at the Inquisitor" Chloe frowned at Clark, who chuckled. Lex moved towards the door, lifting his hand up in a wave. "I'll see you tomorrow; I hear you're escorting the birthday girl. Nice work."

Lex got to the doorway, when Clark panicked. "We're just going as friends."

Lex laughed. "Sure you are." He grinned. "Hope you got her a nice gift."

*

Chloe came down the stairs, rubbing her eyes. She groaned, sitting next to Dean and dropping her head onto the table.

"Why you so tired?" Dean asked, raising his eyebrows as Sam gazed at her in concern. "Another long night at the Torch?"

Chloe looked up, nodding. "Fat-Sucking Vampire struck again." She said, watching as Dean and Sam exchanged a frustrated look.

"Chloe, we looked into it." Sam said. "We can't find anything."

Chloe frowned. "It wasn't a deer this time. It was a boy."

Dean crashed his fist against the table. "Sorry, Chloe, but I think this is a meteor freak thing."

Chloe grinned slightly. "I see I've converted you to believers of the meteor theory." She smiled. "That's three people in two days."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Do you have any idea who could be pretending to be a fat-sucking vampire?"

Chloe grimaced, grabbing her bag. "Well, I told Clark I'd meet him at the Beanery." She told them. "You want to come?"

They stared at her for a few minutes, Chloe watching them impatiently. Sam nodded, suddenly. "Yeah. You're discussing the fat-sucking vampire, right?"

Chloe nodded, and Dean frowned, grabbing the car keys and slouching over to the Impala. Chloe grinned at Sam, following Dean and climbing into the backseat.

Dean drove through Smallville, pulling up next to the Beanery and helping Chloe out the car. Sam stood next to her, glancing round. Chloe smiled as Clark came down the street.

Chloe stepped away from Sam, clinging onto Clark's arm as they entered the Beanery. "I called the hospital this morning." She said and Sam glanced at her in shock, wondering when she did that. "Dustin's in a coma. His body went into shock from loss of fat so...he hasn't told the police anything."

Clark grimaced, ordering Chloe a latte and himself chocolate milk. He turned to the brothers. "DO you want anything?" he asked, reluctantly.

Dean shook his head, and Chloe frowned. The woman behind the counter passed Clark the order and then he paid, turning to find a seat. Chloe frowned, looking round.

"You know, I think it's time to revisit the fat-sucking vampire theory." Clark said, still scanning the room.

"You know, if you hadn't been there, he probably would have died, Clark." Chloe said, and Dean turned to Clark in shock.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Clark found him, and brought him to the hospital. He was in the boiler room."

"How the hell did you find him in the boiler room?" Dean asked, and Clark frowned.

"Luck, I guess." Clark said, fidgeting. "What I can't figure it out is why someone would want to steal body fat."

Chloe nodded. "I know. It takes eating disorders to a whole new level."

Chloe's eyes widened as she spotted Jodi sitting alone at a table. She nudged Clark before walking over and sitting opposite Jodi. Sam eyed the table, frowning at the food spread across the table. He sighed, sitting next to the red-head. Dean pulled up a chair and joined them. Jodi looked up, shocked as she saw three guys sitting at _her_ table.

"Jodi." Clark said, greeting her.

"Hi guys." She said nervously. "What's up?"

"You missed our study session." Chloe said, frowning at her classmate.

"Totally slipped my mind." Jodi apologised.

Chloe nodded, scanning the table. "So, no more veggie shakes, huh?"

Jodi stared at her, while Clark watched her in worry. "Jodi, you okay?" he asked. "Pete said you felt sick yesterday."

"Oh, that." Jodi glanced down at the table. "I'm fully recovered."

She picked up some more food, stuffing it into her mouth. Chloe grimaced in disgust. "So, I'm guessing it's safe to say the diet's finally over."

Sam frowned, glancing at the thin red-head in confusion, and Dean shot him a look saying 'Why the hell is she on a diet?'

"Mmm, I'm starving. I haven't eaten anything all day." Chloe stared as Jodi pushed more food into her mouth. "I'm just a little nervous about the party tonight."

Chloe's eyes widened. "Yeah." Chloe agreed, lying through her teeth, grinning over to Sam.

Jodi noticed, her eyes widening and she stood up. "So, um, I'll see you tonight."

She stood up, grabbing some of the food and running out the café.

"Okay, what was that about?" Chloe asked, grabbing some jell-o from the table and opening it. Dean grinned, following her example.

Clark shook his head. "I don't know. I got to fly." Dean raised an eyebrow. "We'll talk about this later."

He finished his milk and stood up. "Okay." Chloe said. "Where are you going?"

"I'm still working on Lana's birthday gift."

"Any hints?"

"It's not a gift certificate."

Chloe smiled, watching him leave before grabbing a bag of cookies from the table and opening it, passing one each to the brothers. "Well then, I guess it's up to us to find the fat-sucking vampire."

*

Chloe read the fax one more time, and then looked up at Sam and Dean in shock. She cursed, grabbing the Impala keys from the desk and rushing out of the Torch. Dean watched her leave the room, passing Sam an amazed look before following Chloe out of the room.

They got out the school, seeing Chloe in the driver's seat of the Impala. Sam sniggered as Dean ran out into the road.

"Stop the car!" Dean bellowed and Chloe stopped. Dean glared at her, opening the door. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing? Get out the car."

Chloe raised an eyebrow, but wouldn't get out the car. "Um, no. I've kind of got something important to do. Urgently."

Dean groaned. "Get out!" he said. "I don't let anyone drive."

Sam finally stopped laughing, walking over and circling his arms round Chloe's waist, lifting her out the car easily. She squealed, then threw a hand over her mouth, using her other arm to attempt to push his arm off.

Dean stared at them in shock, Sam putting her down. Dean climbed into the front seat. "Well, Chloe?" he said. "What's so important that you needed to steal my car?"

Chloe scrambled into the backseat, and then Sam sat in the passenger seat. "I need to get to Clark's house."

Dean grimaced, but still pulled away from the school.

They arrived at the picturesque barn, Chloe rushing out of the Impala and into the yellow house. Dean and Sam followed. An older red-haired woman turned in shock. "Hi Chloe." She said, looking at the two brothers. "And team."

Dean frowned at her, and Mrs Kent smiled.

Chloe laughed. "Hi Mrs Kent."

She looked past Mrs Kent, spotting Clark and smiling, rushing past his mother and pressing the fax into his hand.

Mrs Kent offered Dean and Sam seats at the kitchen island. They sat there, eagerly accepting the warm muffins she offered them.

"Clark, look at this." Chloe said, forcing Clark to unfold it.

Clark glanced at the brothers and then at Chloe. "Chloe? Why aren't you dressed?"

Chloe's eyes widened as she remembered Lana's party. "I didn't have time. Clark, you really need to check this out."

The brothers strained their ears, trying to hear what had got Chloe so worked up.

"'Smallville body and fender...'" Clark read aloud. "'replaced windshield, replaced side panels. Cause of accident – impact with deer.'"

He looked at Chloe in confusion and she rolled her eyes. "It was Jodi's car, Clark."

Clark looked at her in shock, as the brother's stood up, walking over to read the fax. "What do you think happened to her?"

"Her house is built right next to one of the meteor hits." Chloe said. "Her greenhouses are probably right on top of the meteors."

Sam's eyes widened as he remembered something and he glanced at Chloe in shock. "She lost weight by drinking vegetables grown in her own greenhouses?" he asked and Chloe nodded. "What if the meteors were actually in the soil in the greenhouse?"

Dean shot a look at Sam, wondering how he knew that. Chloe beamed at Sam. "It must have something to do with her metabolism." She concluded. "She's losing weight too fast to keep up with regular food."

Clark nodded. "And that's why she needs body fat." Chloe smiled, Clark's grin fading. "We need to find her."

Chloe agreed, letting Clark rush past her. "Clark." She called after him. "Jodi wouldn't let anything stop her from getting to that party."

Clark glanced at her in fright. "Pete."

Chloe watched him leave, turning to the brothers. "Not that I don't trust Clark or anything, but maybe you should go help."

Sam nodded, leaving the room. Dean stared at Chloe, and then looked at Clark's mom. "Chloe, I'm sure Clark has everything under control."

Martha's eyes widened and she turned, busying herself with making a new cake. Chloe laughed, pushing Dean out the doorway.

"Yeah right." She grinned. "You're the one with the heavy artillery."

*

Sam pushed open the door, walking slowly into the house, his gun at the ready. He paused, hearing a grunt from the left. He stepped through, lowering his gun when he saw the broad silhouette of Pete.

"Jodi?" Pete called, rubbing his head. He turned, eyes widening when he saw Sam. "Oh, uh....Dean?"

Sam grimaced. "It's Sam." He corrected. "You alright?"

"Yeah." Pete looked round, confused. "I just don't know where Jodi went."

Sam scowled. "She's not here?"

"I don't think so. I mean, she looked a bit ill when I arrived." Pete said, confused. "Then she told me to leave, like I was in danger, or something."

"You probably were." Sam said.

*

Dean came round the corner of the house, spotting the two large greenhouses. He smirked, raising his gun and running towards them.

He reached the door, slowing when he saw Jodi standing over someone, shouting. He strained his ears, trying to hear what she was yelling.

"What? Isn't this what I'm supposed to look like?" she screamed.

She grabbed a shovel, aiming at the person she was confronting. Dean cocked his gun; ready to interfere when she stopped, looking into the glass.

"Look at me." She cried, hysterical. "I'm a freak."

Dean's eyes widened when he saw Clark rise from the floor, his hand out in an attempt to grab Jodi.

She turned, her eyes dark with anger when she saw Clark. "I know how to stop this." She snarled. "For good."

She grabbed the shovel once more, and turned quickly, ramming it against a gas pipe. It cracked and Jodi turned, looking for something to start an explosion. She looked up, and Dean cursed he followed her gaze to see the halogen lighting.

She raised the shovel, but Clark grabbed her. "No...Wait!"

She pulled away from him and Dean ran, just crouching behind a large bush when the greenhouse exploded. He heard footsteps, and he spun round, seeing Sam and Pete, staring in shock at the explosion.

Dean frowned, going to stand with them.

"Pete!" Dean's head shot up at the sound of Clark's voice. "You better get over here!"

Pete ran over, finding Clark and Jodi just outside of the range of the explosion. Clark's jacket was smoking slightly, but was otherwise fine. Pete knelt next to Jodi while Dean stared intently at Clark.

"Is she going to be okay?" asked Sam, and Clark nodded.

"Yeah. She got out the greenhouse just in time." Clark told them, and Dean raised an eyebrow at the boy's nervous tone. "She just needs to go to hospital."

Sam nodded. "I'll call an ambulance."

*

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Chloe, for the fifth time, yes. It was Dean who was closest to the greenhouse."

Chloe smiled, relieved, before curling up next to Sam on the sofa. The news was reporting the story, obviously not mention the fact that Jodi had been acting as Smallville's local fat-sucking vampire.

Dean smirked. "Chloe?" She looked up at him. "Weren't you supposed to be at Barbie's party?"

Chloe nodded slowly. "I did go, but it really wasn't my sort of thing."

Dean raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "Oh really, you didn't have fun exploring the Luthor Mansion."

"Well, you know, I gave her the book and then went to sneak around but it wasn't even guarded." She laughed. "And if Lex Luthor has no security guards, then he probably has nothing to hide."

"Or that's what he wants you to think." Dean added. "I think you were just worried about us."

Chloe blushed and Sam looked at her in shock."Well, you know..." she attempted to brush it aside as Dean chuckled. "Even you're not immune to fat-sucking vampires."

* * *

**Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.**

**-Artjuice-**


	8. Jitters

**Well, I'm not in tomorrow night so I thought I'd post this today. I'd like to thank: cowboykelly17, blaker 316 and Carol Alves for reviewing.**

Jitters

"What about this?"

Sam glanced up at Chloe, smiling as she focussed on the paper in front of her, before passing it over to him. She pointed at a small article, next to the picture of a smiling young boy.

Sam frowned, reading the article quickly as she passes another paper over to him and pointing to a similar article, this time accompanied by a smiling girl.

"You think this could be a hunt?" Sam asked.

"I don't know," she admitted, rustling through the mass of papers. "It just seems suspicious. I mean, I've found at least ten cases of missing children in the same town over the past two months."

Sam agreed that it seemed suspicious, leaning over to help Chloe find the marked articles. She found one, opening it up to the folded page. "What's that?"

"The first missing kid." She told him. "Turned up two days ago. Dead."

Sam grimaced, grabbing the large pile. "We'll look into it." He promised. "Now, you probably should get to school."

Chloe rolled her eyes, but grabbed her school bag. She unlocked the door, waving goodbye, and then running onto the school bus.

She caught Clark's eye, and grinned, stumbling towards him. She sat next to him, feeling Pete lean over from behind.

"So this gathering..." Pete prompted, clearly trying to continue their previous conversation.

Clark turned. "Small gathering." He corrected. "Not a party or anything."

Chloe gasped. "Do my ears deceive me or is Clark Kent actually suggesting a party?"

"Not a party." Emphasised Clark, frowning. "A small gathering. You guys, a few other people, maybe even Lana."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "With or without her possible action-figure boyfriend?"

"Without." Pete answered as Clark glared at her.

"8 o'clock." Clark said, ignoring Pete. "And remember, the key word is 'small'."

*

Chloe laughed as she gazed through the throbbing mass of high school students, trying to catch the eye of Clark Kent.

She spotted him, weaving her way through the dancing people and standing next to him, a paper cup of who-knows-what in her hands.

"So, this is what you call a small gathering?" she yelled at him and he frowned, picking up pieces of broken china from the floor.

"Do you even recognise half these people?" he yelled back, spotting someone to his left and panicking slightly. "Hey, watch that glass!"

Chloe winced as the glass smashed against the floor. Clark shot her an exasperated look, darting off to clean up. Chloe giggled, noticing Pete dancing with a random girl. She sidled over, dancing with him.

"You know her?" she asked, and Pete snorted.

"Hardly."

Chloe grinned, grabbing Pete's hand and pulling him through to the quieter kitchen. She pushed up onto the bench, sitting against the sink.

"Well, like Clark's party?" she asked and Pete nodded, massaging his forehead.

"Loud though. Clark's getting _so_ told off tomorrow."

"Do your parents know you're here?" Chloe asked, bored.

"They know I'm at Clarks." Pete smirked. "You?"

"Dad's at work late tonight." She told Pete.

"What about those brothers?"

"They don't care."

Pete went to say something, but was interrupted by the loud explosions of fireworks. Pete grinned, watching as Clark ran out the back door in shock. Exchanging an amused look with Chloe, they followed him.

"Clark man, how cool is this?" Pete smirked, and Clark stared at him in anger.

"Pete, why didn't you just call the cops?" Clark said, angry. "It would have been much easier."

Pete raised his hands up in an innocent gesture as Chloe glued herself to Clark's side, watching the fireworks.

"Hey, I can't claim credit." Pete admitted. "It wasn't my idea."

"It was mine." Someone drawled, and Chloe turned her head, spotting the bald Lex Luthor. "Call it a party gift. I hope you like it."

Clark turned to his older friend, his expression halfway between a grin, and a disapproving stare. "It's great, I just..."

"Don't worry about the police." Lex added, watching Clark's face brighten. "It's covered. I know party's like this can make or break a reputation and I wanted to make sure yours was a hit."

Lex turned and nodded towards the window, and Chloe spotted Lana gazing out the window vapidly. Chloe grimaced, looking down as Clark stared at the popular girl.

Lex noticed, scowling. "I hear you're taking a tour of my plant tomorrow." He said, suddenly, distracting Clark.

Chloe grinned. "It's a class field trip."

Lex barked a laugh. "What'd you do wrong?"

"It's that bad huh?" Clark asked, and Lex nodded sadly.

A woman stalked out of Clark's house, latching onto Lex's arm and smiling flirtatiously up at him. Chloe frowned in confusion at why anyone would like a bald guy. "I'm sorry I took so long." The woman crooned. "Someone overflowed the bathroom."

Clark shook his head in annoyance as Chloe sniggered. "I'm in _so _much trouble." He moaned.

He stood with Chloe until the fireworks ended, and then led her back into the house. Clark slumped on the sofa, and Chloe sat next to him, watching as the guests slowly departed. When the house was almost empty, Clark groaned, scanning the room and wincing at the large amount of popcorn and liquid covering the floor.

"My parents are going to kill me." Clark whined.

"We'll clean it up tomorrow." Chloe comforted, looking up in shock as Lana bounded into the house, a panicked look on her face.

"Clark!" she said, worried. "You better get out here."

Clark stood up, running out the house and into the barn, Chloe at his heels. Whitney stood at the top of the stairs, a pitchfork in his hand as he gazed, scared, round the barn.

"Kent!" he called, and Clark bounded up, a torch spawning in his hand. He flicked it on, directing towards where Whitney was pointing. Whitney approached in cautiously, and Lana gripped Chloe's arm tightly. Chloe ran up, pulling away from Lana, and watching as the jock removed the cloth from a pile in the corner. "Got it!"

The black man looked up at Clark, his eyes wide with fear and Clark's eyebrows furrowed with recognition. "Earl!" he breathed. "Hey, back off." He shouted at Whitney, who stepped away. "I know him. Earl? What are you doing here?"

"I came to see your dad." Earl rasped, his eyes darting round the barn. "He's the only one I can trust."

"He's out of town." Clark said, sounding very sorry. Earl gasped, then started shaking. "What's wrong with you?" Clark yelled, Whitney running back down to Lana and escorting her out the barn. Clark turned to Chloe. "Call an ambulance."

*

Dean swaggered through the white hospital corridors, winking at the female nurses they passed. Sam grimaced, whacking his brother across the head. Dean swirled round, glaring at his brother.

"What the hell was that for?" Dean snarled.

"Chloe called us to the hospital." Sam reminded him. "She could be in trouble."

Dean rolled his eyes teasingly as they rounded the corner, running into Chloe at the vending machine.

She smiled at them, grabbing the Pepsi Max from the machine and then leading them through to the waiting room.

Sam sat next to Clark, and Chloe stood there, confused for a second. She sat next to Sam, leaning across him to talk to Clark.

"This guy should be in a detox centre." Chloe stated, ignoring the brothers perplexed looks.

Dean stared at Chloe. "Why are we here?" he asked, and Chloe grinned innocently.

"I wanted someone intellectual to talk to while we waited for diagnosis on Jenkins." She grinned, Clark passing her an insulted look.

Dean smirked proudly. "So you called me."

"I called Sam." She shot Sam a grin. "The only intellectual one here, other than me."

Clark shook his head, laughing, before suddenly getting serious. "He's not on drugs, Chloe."

"Then why was he shaking like a junkie?"

"Look, Earl worked on the farm for six seasons." Clark protested. "I spent 12 hours a day with the guy out in the fields. He even tried to teach me how to play guitar." Chloe raised her eyebrows in disbelief and Clark laughed nervously. "He said it was a good way to impress women."

Chloe giggled. "Yeah, well, we're all suckers for a guy with a six-string." She replied, leaning into Sam. Clark glanced at the two of them, frowning. "How come I've never heard you play?"

"I kept snapping the guitar strings." Clark admitted. "I think Earl got tired of replacing them."

"You know," Chloe said, looking at Sam. "Just because you spend a lot of time with someone doesn't mean you know their darkest secrets."

Sam shook his head at Chloe, who smirked. Dean stared intently at Clark, who seemed a bit uneasy. "He was like family." Clark said, quietly.

"Then why did he leave?"

"He took a job at the LuthorCorp plant. It was fulltime and the pay was better."

Chloe straightened up, spotting some policemen enter the room. She nudged Sam, whose eyes widened and he ducked his head down.

Chloe watched them approach the front desk, noticing how Clark did the same.

"We're looking for an Earl Jenkins." The first policeman stated, and Clark's eyes widened.

Clark stood up as the nurse directed them to Earl's room. As the first policeman left the room, Clark lightly grabbed the others arm, Chloe going to stand beside him.

"Excuse me." Clark said. "I'm a friend of Earl's. Is he in some kind of trouble?"

The policeman looked Clark up and down, before sneering. "Oh, yeah."

Clark blinked furiously with worry, turning to stare at Chloe. She shrugged, pausing when she heard screaming from down the corridor.

Clark took off, Chloe exchanging concerned looks with the brothers before darting after her best friend.

The brothers chased after, eyes wide in shock when they saw Earl Jenkins shaking through the window. Chloe stood there with Clark, eyes large with worry. Sam hastened to her side, Dean staring at Earl with disbelief.

The policemen approached Earl cautiously, Chloe gasping as his spasms caused him to hit the policemen, sending them flying across the room.

One sat up, breathing heavily and clutching his side. Clark winced, running in to help. Chloe tensed, grabbing Sam's hand tightly.

Earl's seizures got worse and he threw Clark through the window and crashing onto Chloe. She lost her grip on Sam's hand, falling to the floor, Clark on top of her.

Clark panicked, standing up, unhurt and then turning to stare at Chloe in anxiety. "Are you okay?" he asked.

She inhaled shakily, sitting up slowly. Sam knelt down, helping her stand up. She had one hand against her back as she winced in pain.

"Is anything broken?" Clark asked, scanning up Chloe's body as she leant into Sam in order to stay standing up.

"I don't think so." Chloe rasped. "Besides, you're the one thrown through the window."

Clark examined her one more time, before smiling apologetically and walking away from Earl Jenkins and into the hall lobby.

"How come you get hurt and Clark comes out unscathed?" Sam asked, helping Chloe to walk back to the reception.

Dean snorted. "I'm sure it's just another of his extraordinary talents."

*

Chloe walked slowly down the stairs, limping slightly into the kitchen, eyes widening when she saw the duffle bags in the kitchen.

"What's this?" she asked, and Sam turned to her, worried. She rolled her eyes. "I'm alright. I ache a bit, but..."

Sam sighed in relief, Dean grinning at her. "We're going on a hunt."

"I guessed." Chloe smirked. "Well, you know, have fun, don't die, blah blah..."

Dean smirked at her. "Having a flying Clark land on you make you angsty?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. She limped forward, and then engulfed Sam in a quick hug. Sam smiled down at her.

Dean heaved the bag over his shoulder, grabbing the Impala keys and some cookies from the fridge. "Come on, Sammy, we've got a road trip."

*

Clark helped Chloe down from the school bus, staring round the grey fertiliser plant with awe. Chloe rolled her eyes, limping over to entrance and pushing open the doors.

They walked into the entrance hall, staring at the different hazard signs, waiting for their tour guide to enter. Chloe heard some familiar footsteps, and then looked up in horror. She saw Gabe stop in front of the large group, grinning inanely.

She shook her head, hiding behind Clark in embarrassment.

"Hello everybody." Gabe said, sounding like a children's TV presenter. "I'm Gabe Sullivan, plant manager and proud father." Chloe reddened, noticing her dad searching the crowd for her trademarked styled hair. "Hi sweetheart."

"Hi dad." Whispered Chloe, hitting her head off Clark's back.

"Welcome to LuthorCorp." Gabe spread his arms out, smiling at the freshmen. "Where we give a crap."

Pete snorted as Chloe shook her head in humiliation. "Somebody, kill me now."

"A little fertilizer humour there." Gabe chuckled. "All right, before we go inside, I need you to remove all your cell phones, pagers, jewellery...anything that jangles, dangles or rings needs to go in these plastic trays right here."

Chloe frowned, realising she wouldn't be able to contact Sam or Dean whilst in the plant. However, she pulled out her phone and placed in a plastic tray along with Pete's watch and Lana's necklace.

"All right, any other questions?"

Clark slowly raised his hand, smiling as Gabe nodded at him. "I heard there was a third level to the plant. Is that true?"

Chloe looked at Clark, wondering why he would ask that. Gabe looked confused, before nodding. "Yes. That's where we do the alien autopsies." Clark frowned and Chloe rolled her eyes. "I think we better get started."

Chloe turned to Clark in mock anger. "Don't encourage him."

Clark followed her father, Chloe hobbling after him, Pete aiding her. They were led through gray corridors, lined with pipes, as well as the occasional 'No Entry' or 'Hazard' signs.

Lana passed very close to a steaming pipe, whimpering in fear. Gabe heard, turning round and smiling at the class.

"Watch out for these babies." Gabe told them, Lana nodding. "262 degrees. They get hot."

The freshmen traipsed after Gabe, forming a line. Chloe was at the back, next to Pete. Clark was walking slowly behind them.

Gabe opened a large gray door with his employee card, leading them into a large room with a conference table and some computer screens. He greeted a few of the scientists inside before gesturing for the class to gather round.

"This is it." He said slowly. "The plant's mission control. 100 000 tonnes of animal waste is processed here every year. Trust me; the results can be pretty explosive. So if any of you had beans for lunch, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

The class tittered, Pete snorting with laughter. Chloe hit him and Pete shut up, looking at her in amusement.

"Among his peers, he's considered witty." Chloe muttered, and Pete laughed harder, looking round the room.

Pete frowned suddenly, glancing at Chloe nervously. "Where's Clark?"

Chloe looked round, scowling, when a loud rattling sound came from the next room. The door handle shook, and it seemed as though someone was trying to open it.

Gabe scanned the room, before taking in a deep breath and heading over to the vibrating door. "What the heck?" he whispered, reaching for the handle.

Just before he touched the handle, the door swung open. Chloe tensed, seeing Earl Jenkins standing there, holding a gun.

"Don't move." He shouted, raising the gun to her father's head. "Take me to Level 3! Now!"

*

Sam pressed a hand to his forehead, wincing. Dean glanced over at him, his head bopping along with the Black Sabbath that was booming through the Impala.

Sam reached for the volume, hoping to turn it down, but his hand slipped and sound of Black Sabbath changed to the droning of the news. Dean grimaced, staring at Sam in anger.

"And, just in..." read the news reporter. "We have a hostage situation at the LuthorCorp fertiliser plant in Smallville, Kansas."

Sam tensed, looking at Dean in shock. "Was Chloe visiting there today?"

Dean didn't know, so shrugged, pulling the Impala over at the side of the road.

"It has been revealed that around thirty freshmen from Smallville High are trapped within the control room, along with several LuthorCorp employees."

"Chloe's in there." Sam breathed, before turning to Dean, determined. Dean was staring in shock at the radio, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. "Dean." He commanded. "We're going back to Smallville."

*

Martha Kent spotted the brothers weaving through the crowd of angry parents outside LuthorCorp. The older one waved to her, and then watched as she turned to Lex Luthor.

Lex stalked over to the gates, glancing at the brothers. "Do you know anyone in there?" he asked. "Why should I let you in, when I've let no one else in?"

"We're friends of Chloe Sullivan's." Sam said, glaring at the older, bald man.

Lex clearly didn't think that was a good enough reason to be allowed in.

"We're Gabe Sullivan's godsons." Dean said, subtly hitting Sam in the side. "And you seemed to have no problem allowing the Kent's through."

Sam and Dean grinned as Lex reluctantly let them in, sending them over to join the two Kents.

Jonathan Kent came over to talk to Lex, blocking the screens from the brothers' view.

"He claims that LuthorCorp is doing some crop experiments on some secret level 3." Jonathan said loudly, allowing Sam and Dean to eavesdrop. "And that's what made him sick. He's convinced it's the only place that he can find a cure."

Lex grimaced. "Then we've got a serious problem because there is no level 3."

Lex walked away to talk to the SWAT agents, allowing Sam and Dean to glance at the many screens, noticing the control room was full of Smallville High students. Chloe sat next to her father, who was tied to a chair.

"Gabe's in there too." Dean stated, scanning the image more intently. Then he frowned, turning to glance at Martha and Jonathan, and then looking back at the screen. "Where's Clark?"

*

Chloe watched in horror as Earl leaned towards her father again, the gun raised towards his forehead. Gabe glanced at his daughter, wincing as he felt sweat drip down his forehead.

"I swear," Gabe growled, struggling under the ropes tying him to the chair. "I don't know anything about level 3."

"You're lying." Snarled Earl, slowly drawing the gun closer.

Chloe tensed, hearing the sound of the large doors creaking open. She wanted to turn, see who it was, but she didn't dare. Instead, she held her breath.

"He's not lying." It was Clark's voice, and she turned round, seeing him walk in holding two large scrolls. She glanced at Pete, wondering where Clark had been and how he'd got hold of the papers. "I found these blueprints. There is no level 3."

Earl hurried over, snatching the blue prints and unfolding them on the long glass table. He stared furiously at Clark, tracing a path onto the blueprints with his finger.

He breathed heavily. "Every night I go down to level 2, I follow the red pipes down that long hallway." He raised his voice, shouting at Clark. "I go to the door, I open it and I take the elevator down to level 3!" Clark gave him a concerned look, using his own hand to trace the path that Earl described. "You're just like them!" Earl panicked, raising the gun towards Clark. "Now you get over there and sit down!"

*

Dean watched as Clark slid down the wall next to Lana Lang, and even in black and white, he looked sick. Sam was watching just as intently, but his gaze was fixed on Earl. Next to them, Lionel Luthor was talking loudly with Jonathan Kent.

"He's sick!" Jonathan was saying, trying to excuse his old friend's behaviour. "He's desperate and he blames your plant for his condition."

Lionel shrugged, not caring, a vindictive smile across his face as he scanned the monitors. "This level 3 nonsense?"

"I've assured everyone there is no level 3." Lex interrupted, looking slightly flustered when everyone turned to look at him. He glanced up at his father, an apprehensive look on his face. "That is the truth, isn't it?"

Lionel cackled, adjusting his glasses as he stared at his son. "Of course it is."

Jonathan turned to the CEO in fury. "There are people's lives at stake, including my son's. What are you going to do about it?"

"I'm going to let SWAT do their job." Lionel announced, his lip curling. "And when he makes a mistake, they'll move in."

Sam glared at the head of the company in shock, not able to believe the casual approach that Lionel had. Dean seemed to share his view, approaching the man and fixing him with an incredulous look.

"What about the kids?" Dean asked, gesturing towards the screens. "You need to get on the phone and talk to him."

Lionel looked down at Dean with a raised eyebrow, a smug gleam in his eyes. "Mr...?"

"Winchester." Growled Dean.

"Winchester." Lionel smirked. "I understand how you feel. I want everyone to walk out of there alive too, but I do not give in to the demands of terrorists."

Sam walked over to his brother, trying to back him up, but Mrs Kent spoke first, her hands on her hips and her eyes wide in rage.

"He's not a terrorist!" she yelled, watching in contempt as Lionel flinched. "He's sick and he needs help! My son is in there!" Lionel nodded patronisingly. "So is their godfather!"

"Look, Mrs Kent, I understand but..."

"If you won't talk to him, Jonathan will!" Martha finished.

Lex stalked over to his father, fixing him with a heated glare. "Jonathan's not the one he blames, is he dad?"

*

The ringing blared through the sounds of uneasy breathing filling the command room. Gabe glanced up at Earl, who gestured towards the phone. Gabe rolled his chair over, reaching for the receiver.

"Gabe, its Lionel."

Gabe held the phone out towards Earl, his arm trembling slightly. Earl walked past Chloe, who shook with terror, before standing in front of her father.

"It's Lionel Luthor." Gabe whispered, his voice quivering.

Earl grinned cruelly, before leaning closer to Gabe and breathing directly into his face.

"Speaker." He ordered and Gabe quickly pressed the button, glancing at his daughter as she hid her face in Pete's shoulder, scared. "Mr Luthor, I've finally got your attention."

"Earl, why don't you come out?" Lionel's condescending tone made Chloe shake her head with anger, knowing that it wouldn't work. "We've got a lot to talk about."

"Just tell me what you were using down on Level 3." Earl sobbed, making his hostages glance at him in shock.

"You're sick, Earl." Lionel spoke slowly. "Let everyone go. We'll get you help."

Earl grimaced, starting to shake and Chloe flinched, knowing what was about to happen. As his spasms got faster, he grabbed the gas valve, attempting to steady himself.

Chloe tensed as Clark stood up, walking carefully towards Earl, his arm outstretched. Earl jerked, once again throwing Clark across the room. The sudden movement jerked the gas valve, breaking it away from the gas pipe and allowing the gas to leak into the room.

Chloe start breathing shakily, as Earl turned, hands running across his head in frustration. "Oh no." He whimpered. "See what you made me do." He turned, heading over towards the security camera. "SEE WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!"

"Way to go, Dad." Lex's voice echoed from the phone. "Nice to see you haven't lost your touch."

"Your methane gas valve just broke. The whole place is going to go up." Earl snarled.

Chloe looked up when she heard a class-mate start whispering, turning her head to see Whitney, one arm around Lana, glaring at Earl.

"We need to do something." Whitney whispered to Clark, who shook his head.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"That man's nuts!" Whitney continued. "He's not listening to the cops and that methane gas is gonna blow."

"Whitney! I don't want you to get hurt." Lana crooned, stroking his arm.

Whitney glanced at her, then back at Earl. "I'm not putting my life in that man's hands." He whispered, angry. "Two of us can take him. How about it, Clark?"

"I can't." Clark murmured.

Lana smiled at him. "It's okay." She gasped as Whitney slowly stood up, glaring at the black man. "Whitney!"

"Luthor!" Earl was still talking to the camera, his fist clenched around the gun. "I trusted you. You told me you were trying to help people."

Chloe watched as he saw Whitney's reflection in the lens of the camera and turned, furious.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" He screamed, swinging the gun at the jock.

Whitney ducked, knocking the gun to the floor. Earl snarled, leaping down from where he was standing and flinging his fist at Whitney. He hit him in the face and Whitney stumbled back, falling to the floor.

"Whitney!" Lana screamed, grabbing his arm and getting Clark to help her pull him back to the wall.

Earl climbed back up so he was staring at the security camera once more. "It's all your fault, Luthor." He growled, before raising the gun and shooting the camera.

*

"We've got shots fired." announced the SWAT agent. "One hostage down."

Mrs Kent was already sobbing into her husband's jacket, while Sam and Dean were trying to call Gabe or Chloe on their cell phones.

Lionel snatched their phones out of their hands. "What was the boy thinking?" he snarled, passing the SWAT agents the phones.

Sam cursed, running a hand through his hair and Dean straightened, glaring at the owner of LuthorCorp.

"He wasn't." Jonathan said, confronting Lionel. "He's a teenager who's been waiting for someone out here to take the initiative. Look, you've got a hostage situation, a potential bomb in there. Someone's got to do something."

"We'll go in." Dean announced, but Lionel shook his head.

"They're right." Lex said, turning to stare at the fuzzy screens. "I'll go in."

"Don't be foolhardy. This is no time for mock-heroics." Lionel said calmly.

"You said this is my plant, it's my call."

Lionel gulped, grabbing Lex's arm tightly. "I won't allow it." he growled.

Lex raised an eyebrow, pulling his arm away from his father. "Don't ever do that again." Lex snarled, summoning an agent over. "Tell him Lex Luthor's coming to see him."

"I wouldn't advise that, sir." said the SWAT agent hesitantly.

"Make the call."

*

Chloe wiped a tear away, watching as Lana held Whitney close, his breathing ragged. She paused, hearing the familiar sound of the large door opening.

Earl growled, his hand holding the gun unsteadily, as he turned towards the door. "What kind of man sends his own son to do his dirty work?"

Chloe spun round, seeing Lex walk in, a bulletproof vest protecting him. "I'm not doing anybody's dirty work, Earl." Lex said, his voice level. "This is my plant." He used one hand to gesture slightly towards the pale Whitney. "How is he?"

Lana sobbed, looking up at the bald man. "He needs a doctor."

"What are we going to do about these kids, Earl?"

"I never meant to hurt anybody." Earl answered, gesturing around the room with his gun, his motions erratic. "I tried talking to your father, but he wouldn't listen to me."

Lex nodded, a sympathetic grin on his face. "I know the feeling." Lex slowly removed the bullet proof vest, a nervous smile flitting across his face before he schooled his features into an understanding stare. "Earl, you say everybody's been lying to you. I'm going to tell you the truth." Lex smirked. "My father doesn't care about you." Earl inhaled shakily, and Lex glanced round, catching Chloe's eye. "He doesn't care about _anyone_ in this room." Earl tightened his grip on the gun and Chloe gulped. "If we all die, his PR firm will spin it, his insurance company will pay out and you, Earl, will go down as the bad guy."

"I'm not the bad guy," choked Earl. "I'm just trying to get better."

"How are you going to get better by killing a bunch of kids?" Lex said slowly. "If you let everybody go, I'll take you to level 3."

Earl raised the gun towards Lex, stepping over Chloe in order to get nearer to the bald man. "You stop lying."

"Let them go, and I'll show you where it is. Earl, trust me. I'm a man of my word."

Earl nodded, turning to the students. "Get out!" he roared. "Get out! Everybody, get out!"

Pete stood up quickly, helping Chloe up and then letting her lean on him as she limped out the room. As they were past the large door, she stopped leaning against the wall.

"This is such a bad day to have a bad back." she whispered, and Pete laughed slightly, waiting with her for Clark to leave.

Clark ran out the room, eyes widening when he spotted Chloe. She straightened, wincing, and Clark ran over, one arm round her waist as he ran her down the corridor.

As they ran out of the plant, the fire doors began to clunk down. Clark let go of her waist, turning and darting back under the door. Chloe screamed after him, but Pete grabbed her arms and dragged her away.

Chloe was suddenly seized by her father, who pulled her over to the monitors and engulfed her in a hug. She clung to him, sobbing as he let go and turned to talk to Martha Kent.

And then Sam hugged her and she gripped the back of his shirt, sobbing into him.

"Group hug." she heard Dean, and then felt him lay one hand comfortingly on her shoulder.

"Chloe?" she lifted her head up from Sam's chest, turning slightly to see Martha Kent looking at her with tears in her eyes. "Where's Clark?"

"He's back inside." she wept, not noticing how Sam's grip tightened round her waist. "I tried to stop him but I-I couldn't."

Dean and Sam exchanged a quick glance, looking at the closing fire doors. Dean nodded, checking his pocket for his gun and then Sam let go of Chloe and together, the brothers rolled under the fire door.

The door clanked shut.

*

Dean and Sam ran through the gray corridors, their guns held up. They reached a door labelled 'Employees Only'. Dean grimaced, shaking the door handle, unable to get through.

Sam cursed, checking a nearby pressure meter to see how much methane was in the air.

"Dean, we haven't got long." Sam grimaced, and Dean nodded, leading Sam deeper into the plant.

The intercom buzzed, and they looked up, thinking everyone was outside.

"Earl, I found level 3!" Clark's voice echoed through the corridor, Dean and Sam exchanging shocked glances. "They built a wall in front of the elevator but it's still here."

The intercom buzzed again, and then the plant fell silent.

"Where do you think the elevator is?" Sam asked Dean.

Dean didn't know, so turned back, returning to the 'Employee Only' door. Sam rechecked the pressure meter.

"Dean, the pressures gone down."

Dean grinned. "That makes this so much easier."

With a grunt, Dean forced himself against the door and it smashed. He shot an impressed smirk at Sam, before climbing through the doorway. They stalked down the corridor, barely looking up when the intercom buzzed once again.

"Earl, it's here!" Clark called. "Don't you want to see it? I promise."

Dean sped up, bashing through the gate into the control room, seeing the many different security images. Sam scanned the CCTV footage, pointing as Clark appeared by the janitor's closet.

"There!"

Dean nodded. "We're going on a Clark hunt."

Sam laughed slightly, marching down the walkway. He found the closet, prizing the door open. His eyes widened at the gaping hole in the wall, revealing the elevator.

He pressed the down button, glancing at Dean as a ding announced the lift's arrival. They walked in, staring at the buttons.

"There's no level 3." Sam groaned, his finger hovering over the button for level 2.

Dean grinned, reaching out and touching where the level 3 button would be. It lit up and he exchanged an amused smile with his brother.

The lift jerked into action, moving down quickly, and then opening onto a large warehouse. Dean stepped of, his gun raised, staring down the walkway.

Clark stood, scared, on one side of the walkway. The middle section was tilted, the screws had come loose. Earl hung off the side, Lex Luthor clinging to his legs and yelling for Clark to help.

Clark carefully climbed along the tilted bridge, using one hand to hold himself on the walkway. He leant down, grabbing Earl's hand and then wincing with pain. Dean watched as Clark braced himself, then with a groan, pulled Earl back onto the bridge.

"Get to the elevator." Clark order, reaching down to help Lex.

Lex grasped his hand and Clark smoothly lifted him up. Lex breathed heavily, smiling up at Clark thankfully.

Sam's eyes widened as Earl spotted him and Dean and started to shake once more. Clark grabbed Lex, darting past Earl just as the final screws came out and the walkway fell, taking Earl with it.

Clark glanced at Sam and Dean, helping Lex lie down. Lex looked up at Clark, amazed. "Clark?" he asked, wheezing slightly. "How did you pull us up?"

Clark frowned as Dean stared at him, interested. Sam ignored their confrontation, instead leaning down to help Lex onto the elevator.

"I don't know." Clark finally answered, pressing the button for level 2. "Adrenaline, I guess."

Dean rolled his eyes, but didn't ask another question, following Clark out the plant.

Sam emerged into the light, wincing as he was swarmed by photographers for various papers. "No comment?" he answered to various questions, ducking under the police line.

He straightened up, running a hand through his hair. Dean grinned, nudging him.

"Don't look now, but your girlfriend's coming." Dean joked, and Sam looked up. Dean sniggered and Sam glared at him, exhaling when Chloe threw herself at him, wrapping him in a hug.

"You're so stupid." she sobbed. "You could have died."

Dean grinned at Sam, watching as his brother returned the hug. "What?" he said, making Chloe look up at him. "No hug for me?"

* * *

**Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review.**

**-Artjuice-**


	9. Rogue

**I'd like to thank miki, blaker316, cowboykelly17, Carol Alves, and for reviewing. Enjoy!**

Rogue

Chloe grinned up at Clark, her eyes twinkling as he stared back. She could feel his breath lightly against her skin. Her eyes flickered closed. There was silence.

"Another scathing editorial?" Clark whispered.

Chloe gulped, quickly opening her eyes and turning away from Clark to face the screen. "Is there any other kind?" she said loudly.

Pete laughed, staring at her and Clark with, was it jealousy? Chloe smirked at him and Pete relaxed, sliding his seat closer to the Torch editor. Just as Chloe was about to say something, Lana strutted into the room.

"Clark, what happened to you last night?" Lana whined.

Chloe exchanged a confused glance with Pete and then frowning at Clark. "I guess I'm not much of a city guy."

Chloe laughed harshly. "You can take the boy out of the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the boy."

"What is this?" a scathing voice interrupted the conversation.

They looked up, eyes wide as they spotted their principal striding into the room. They glanced at him in confusion and he decided to explain.

"Is this your idea of a joke? Concerned parents have been calling all morning."

Kwan held up that day's issue of the Torch, pushing it close to Chloe's face so she could read the headline.

"What have you been telling them?" Chloe asked, interested.

"What the EPA and other environmental groups said years ago." Kwan snarled. "The meteor rocks are harmless."

"People have a right to know about the strange things that happen in this town." Chloe protested, frowning with worry.

"The Torch is a school paper." Kwan growled. "It's not your personal tabloid."

Chloe swallowed, her eyes wide. "Are you..." she choked for a second and Clark grabbed her hand. She glanced at him, before turning to Kwan once more. "Are you censoring me?"

"I'm requiring you to do your job, which is report on relevant school events. Sports, dances and clubs." He reminded, before smiling maliciously. "I'm relieving you of your duties. The Torch is suspended until I can appoint a new editor."

"Okay, what just happened?"

"I think you were fired." Pete said slowly.

"Chloe, I'm sure there's something we can do." Clark said softly, squeezing her hand in an attempt to comfort her.

Lana glanced at them, before pasting on her angelic smile and turning to Chloe. "Let me talk to Kwan." She said.

"Not to sound ungrateful or anything, but what do you think _you_ can do?" Chloe said harshly.

"I don't know." Lana looked down, daintily flushing pink, then gazing at Chloe earnestly. "But let me give it a shot."

Chloe smiled weakly, before grabbing her bags. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow."

She basically ran down the corridor, slamming the main door. She gripped her bag tightly, striding towards her house, wishing the Impala was in Smallville and not on the other side of America.

She unlocked the door, sniffing back tears one more time, before pasting a large grin and stepping into the house.

The grin immediately faded.

"Dad?" she asked, used to the sight of duffle bags in the hall, but those bags mainly belonged to the Winchesters. She'd never seen her dad attempting to pack one away. "What are you doing?"

"I was called about a LuthorCorp seminar. They want me to speak on how to act under intense pressure, aka. Hostage situations." He answered. "It's in Gateway City."

Chloe looked in shock. "What? In California?" Gabe nodded, lugging one duffle bag into his car. "What am I going to do?"

Gabe glanced at her, smirking. "See, I've thought of that. You're going to be with Sam and Dean for a bit. You can get a bus tonight and be there by morning."

Chloe's jaw dropped. "Dad, you can't just make Dean and Sam babysit me, I mean, I can stay with Pete or Clark...or even Lana if I have to."

"I've already called Sam. They said they'll meet you at the bus stop tomorrow, but they're busy tonight."

"What?" Chloe's eyes widened. "But what about school, the Torch..." she frowned. "Nevermind. Yeah, sure, I'll go."

Gabe sighed in relief, holding out one duffle bag to her. "I packed it for you."

Chloe grimaced, going to her room to repack. "When are we leaving?" she called down the stairs.

"As soon as possible. Your bus is in half an hour."

*

The Impala pulled up between two crooked, wooden houses, and the Winchester brothers stepped out. Dean clicked open the trunk, pulling out two tasers and handing one to his brother.

Sam grinned. "What do you have these amped up to?"

"A hundred thousand vaults." Dean grunted, hoisting a duffle bag over his shoulder and locking the trunk.

"Damn." Sam whistled.

"Yeah." Dean smirked. "I want this rawhead extra frickin' crispy. And remember, you only get one shot with these things. So make it count."

Sam nodded, turning to the house and creaking the door open. They snuck in, torches held steady underneath the tasers. Dean gestured to the side, peeling the moth-eaten door away from the stairs to the basement.

Dean went first, slowly walking down the stairs, listening for any strange noises. They heard a whimper and Dean glanced, worried, at Sam. He reached the bottom first, edging over to the cabinet where the noise came from.

"On three." Dean whispered. "One, two, three."

They both pulled a door open, eyes widening when they found two children, kneeling in the darkness. They shook, looking up at the brothers.

"Is it still here?" Sam asked, and they nodded.

Dean frowned, pulling the children gently out of the cupboard. "Ok. Grab your sisters hand." He commanded. "Come on, we gotta get you out of here. Let's go, let's go."

He ushered the children up the stairs, scowling as it took them so long to climb the stairs. Suddenly, something reached up the gap between stairs, grabbing Sam's leg and making him tumble down the stairs.

"Sam!" Dean called, angry.

He ran down the stairs, moving round to one side and shooting the taser. He cursed as he missed. "Sam, get them out of here!" he yelled, and Sam nodded, tossing his taser back to Dean before shepherding the children up the stairs and out of the house.

Dean glanced round, holding his flashlight high as he attempted to spot the Rawhead. "Come on." He muttered, turning and spotting a wolfish creature hunched in a corner. Dean raised the taser, but not fast enough, the Rawhead pushing him into a corner, Dean sinking down into a puddle of water.

Dean tightened his grip on the taser as the Rawhead stepped closer. It growled and Dean grimaced, finally shooting the creature. Dean's eyes widened, as he saw the shock travel through the creature and into the puddle. He winced in pain, suddenly receiving the entire electric shock, shaking and twitching.

Everything went black.

*

"Sir, I'm so sorry to ask." The receptionist smiled sadly, looking apologetically at Sam. "There doesn't seem to be any insurance on the card."

"Right..." Sam looked down, pulling his wallet out. "Um, ok."

He handed his card over, and the receptionist smiled sweetly. "Thank you," she glanced down at the credit card. "Mr Burkovitz."

Sam nodded, slowly shuffling away from the desk and over to the two policemen waiting for him.

"Look, we can finish this up later." The policeman offered, and Sam gulped but shook his head.

"No, no, it's okay. We were just taking a shortcut through the neighbourhood. And, um, the windows were rolled down, we heard some screaming. We drove past the house, and we stopped. Ran in."

The police officers nodded at Sam. "And you found the kids in the basement?"

"Yeah."

"Well, thank god you did."

Sam smiled, turning round and spotting a doctor walking down the white hospital corridors. He glanced up at the policeman. "You mind?"

They shook their heads, smiling at him before walking off. Sam ran over, worried.

"Hey, doctor, is he..."

"He's resting." The doctor told him, flicking through the medical chart.

"And?"

"The electrocution triggered a heart attack. Pretty massive, I'm afraid." The doctor looked up at Sam, choosing to ignore the tears in Sams eyes. "His heart – it's damaged."

"How damaged?"

"We've done all we can. We can try and keep him comfortable at this point. But, I'd give him a couple of weeks. A month at most."

Sam grimaced, on the verge of crying. He used his sleeve to wipe his eyes, smiling at the doctor. "No, no." Sam stammered. "There has to be something you can do, some kind of treatment."

"We can't work miracles." The doctor said, sounding uncomfortable. "I really am sorry."

Sam nodded, raising his eyes up to the ceiling as he tried to stop the crying, then moving his watery gaze around the room. He saw the clock, then cursed slightly, spinning on his heel and walking away from the doctor.

He left the hospital, sitting on a bench outside, staring at the Impala. He sat, eyes closed, shoulders shaking slightly.

Someone touched his shoulder, and he tensed, looking up.

"Sam?"

He wiped his eyes. "Oh, sorry, shit, Chloe?"

She grinned, sitting next to him. "Where's Dean?"

Sam couldn't help it, he sobbed. Chloe turned to him, shocked, then at the hospital building behind her.

"Oh my god." Chloe whispered. "Is he...? Is he alive?" Sam nodded, but Chloe hugged him. "I guess now was a pretty bad time for babysitting."

Sam chuckled weakly, burying his head into her shoulder, shaking. Chloe knew it wasn't from laughter, but he didn't seem to be crying.

Chloe fidgeted awkwardly and Sam straightened up, blushing. "Do you want to go eat?" Sam asked. "I mean, you came here from Smallville."

Chloe nodded slightly, taking Sam's hand and leading him through to the hospital café. Sam paid with his card, leading her over to one of the plastic chairs.

"It'll be alright." She said suddenly, looking up from her greasy egg sandwich. "It always is."

Sam frowned. "But this time, it's serious." He whispered. "It's not like ... you know, a psychiatrist trying but failing to make you go psycho."

Chloe glanced up at him, reaching over for his hand and allowing him to grasp it tightly. "What is it? A bullet?"

"Heart failure."

*

"Sammy?" Dean rasped, looking up from the bed as the door creaked open. It was Sam, his head drooping. "Were you on a date?"

Sam didn't laugh, staring at his brother. Dean shook his head. "Or were you chasing your sense of humour?"

Chloe appeared from behind Sam, her hand on his arm. Dean smirked, slightly confused. "Oh, Chloe? Definitely a date."

Chloe seemed shocked as she stared at him, before swallowing. "Even hundred thousand volts can't destroy your sense of humour." She choked out.

"Damn straight."

Dean glanced at Sam, noticing that his brother suddenly seemed unable to look at him. He squirmed, as if trying to get more comfortable, before groaning.

"Sammy, I don't care what the doctor says, get me and Chloe some coffee." He grinned weakly. Sam nodded, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. "And good coffee, mind you."

Sam slide out the room, leaving Dean and Chloe alone. "What are you doing here?" Dean asked.

"Uh, dad's in Gateway City and he shipped me to you." Chloe admitted. "Bad timing, huh?"

Dean laughed feebly, and Chloe snivelled, putting her hand on her eyes. "Are you crying?"

Chloe shook her head, just as the doctor walked in. "Mr Burkovitz." He read off the chart. "How are you feeling?"

Dean looked up. "You mind?"

The doctor looked right at Chloe, eyes wide in confusion. "What are you doing here? Who are you?" Chloe gasped, looking from Dean to the doctor in shock as Dean stammered. "It's only family members allowed."

"I'm...uh...Anya," Chloe said suddenly. "His sister."

Dean nodded, smiling.

"She's not on any records." The Doctor muttered, confused.

"I was... estranged." Chloe smiled, and the Doctor frowned but he left.

Dean grinned. "Well done!" he raised his arm, as if to let her give him a high five. "Sis."

She laughed, but more tears slipped out her eyes. Dean frowned. She sniffed, glancing away. Dean looked at the opposite wall, feeling awkward. Sdenly, Chloe leant forward, wrapping him in a hug.

"We're friends, right Dean?" she whispered, and he glanced at her.

"Chloe, I've told you. No chick flick moments." She didn't laugh but tightened her grip on him. He patted her back uncomfortably. "Yeah, we're friends." There was a silence, occasionally broken by Chloe's sobs. "I mean, look after Sam for me."

The door opened, Sam walking in and glancing from Dean to Chloe with shock, as well as with sorrow. Chloe pulled away from Dean, smiling at Dean before walking over to Sam. "You and Dean need to talk." She whispered, then leaving the room, brushing Sams hand as she left.

Sam gulped. Dean grinned. "Aww, we're like a family." Dean grinned. "You and Chloe are acting like a couple." Dean raised an eyebrow. "And I'm the wise older brother. Or we go along with Chloe's idea, in which case you're crushing on your little sister." Sam glanced at him in confusion. "Either way, it's like real-life soap-opera."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Dean..."

"Have you ever watched daytime tv? It's terrible."

Sam sighed. "I talked to your doctor."

Dean grimaced, pointing at the chair. Sam nodded, going over to sit with at Dean's bedside. "That fabric softener teddy bear." Dean smirked. "Oh, I'm going to hunt that little bitch down."

"Dean."

"Yeah?" Dean looked at his brother, a depressed look crossing his features. "Alright, looks like you're going to leave town without me."

"What are you talking about?" Sam whispered, staring at his brother. "I'm not going to leave you here."

"Hey, you better take care of that car." Dean added, looking away when his brother's eyes welled up with tears. "Or, I swear, I'll haunt your ass."

Sam choked, then began to speak, his voice clogged with tears. "I don't think that's funny."

"Aw, come on, it's kind of funny." Dean fell silent, feeling tired, and Sam watched him. "Look, Sammy, what can I say? It's a dangerous gig, I drew the short straw. That's it, end of story."

"Don't talk like that, alright?" Sam growled. "We still have options."

"Yeah, burial or cremation. And I know it's not easy. But I'm going to die and you can't stop it."

"Watch me."

*

Sam sat on the motel bed, laptop on his knee, as he searched the internet for anything that could help Dean.

"Anything?" Chloe asked, leaning against Sam and letting him curl an arm round her waist.

"No." Sam whispered, leaning his head back against the wall.

Chloe sighed, pulling the laptop off his knee and adjusting it so it was comfortably against her knees. Sam grimaced, listening to Chloe furiously typing on the laptop.

"Why don't you call your dad?" she whispered. "I'm sure he'd want to know."

Sam nodded, reaching over for the phone with one hand, gripping Chloe's waist tighter, not noticing how she was forced to move closer.

He dialled his father's number, hoping his dad would answer but waiting for the answering machine.

"Hey, dad, it's Sam." He whispered. "Uh...you probably won't even get this, but, uh,...it's Dean. He's sick and uh...the doctors say that there's nothing they can do. Um...but, uh, they don't know what we know, right?" Chloe turned to him, frowning. "So, don't worry, cause, uh, I'm going to do whatever I can to make him better. Alright...just wanted you to know."

He hung up and Chloe frowned.

"Voicemail?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe you should sleep?" Chloe suggested, slipping out of his hold and leaving him alone on the bed. Sam frowned, but nodded, lying down and closing his eyes, falling asleep to the sound of Chloe's fingers tapping against the laptop.

*

Sam hung up, smiling at Chloe from across the room. She smiled back. "Well, is he real?" she asked.

"Seems like it." Sam admitted. "I'm so glad you found him."

Chloe grinned, closing the laptop for the first time in three days. The motel room door creaked open and Dean slumped into the room, his breathing ragged. He stumbled, Sam rushing over to help him walk.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sam demanded, helping his brother over to the bed.

"I checked myself out." Dean grinned slightly, but he was still pale and tired looking.

"What, are you crazy?"

"Well, I'm not going to die in a hospital where the nurses aren't even hot." Dean said casually, smiling as Chloe sniggered.

Sam glanced at her than turned back to his brother, concerned. "You know this whole laugh-in-the-face-of-death thing? It's crap." Dean raised an eyebrow at his brother's angry tone. "I see right through it."

"Yeah. Whatever." Dean ignored Sam's concern, instead glancing round the room. "Have you guys even slept? You both look worse than me."

"_We've_ been scouring the Internet for three days. Calling every contact in Dad's journal."

"For what?"

"For a way to help you." Chloe answered when Sam looked away, embarrassed. Dean groaned.

"Chloe found this guy in Nebraska. One of dad's friends, Joshua, he called me back. Told me this guy works. He's a specialist."

"You're not going to let me die in peace, are you?" Dean grumbled.

Chloe glanced at him. "Uh...no. We're not going to let you die at all."

*

Sam helped Dean into the Impala's backseat, before getting into the driver's seat. Chloe sat next to him, the map open in front of her.

She caught Dean's eye through the mirror, noticing the dark lines under his eyes and his feeble smirk, and felt herself on the verge of tears again. Sam pulled away from the motel, trying not to look at his brother.

When they got onto the main route, Chloe folded the map back up and relaxed into her seat. She leant against the seat, feeling uncomfortable in the depressed silence that was shrouding the car.

Dean groaned when he turned, and Chloe watched as Sam seemed to blink back tears. She reached for her phone, noticing Dean's confused stare as she dialled in a familiar number.

"Hey, Clark?" she whispered, not seeing how Sam tensed, and Dean leaned towards her slightly, trying to hear her conversation. "Where am I? Oh, dad made Sam and Dean babysit me when he went to a week-long seminar." She paused. "They're out of Kansas on P.I business, so I needed to be shipped out. You okay?"

Chloe smiled, giggling.

"You know, you can put your phone on speaker if it's easier." Sam told her, hoping that something would lighten up the car's sad atmosphere.

Chloe frowned, but did it anyway. "Have you heard anything about Lana's meeting with Kwan?"

"Chloe," Dean frowned as Clark's voice filled the car. "I'm sure everything will turn out okay."

"Hey." Lana's voice was distant but they could hear it and Chloe tightened her grip on the phone, wishing that Dean wasn't watching her so closely or that Sam wasn't pretending not to pay attention.

"How'd it go?" Chloe asked, her eyes wide with worry.

"Well, it's interesting." Lana said slowly.

"Bottom line it." Chloe commanded, her voice wavering as she caught sight of Dean in the mirror. "When can we send out the next issue?"

"Day after tomorrow." Lana answered promptly, and the brothers guessed they were talking about the Torch.

"Cool."

"Except…" Lana hesitated and Chloe swallowed, looking away from the brothers and out the window. "Kwan made me the new editor."

"Okay…uh…rewind." Chloe demanded, her eyes filling with tears. "I need you to say that last part again."

"After I made my case, Kwan said that if I had so much passion, I should be in charge."

"I don't believe this!" stammered Chloe, blinking as Sam removed one hand from the steering wheel and gripped her hand.

"Chloe, it's the only way he'd reopen the paper."

"So what, cheerleader's not enough?" Chloe sobbed. "Maybe the editor of the school newspaper looks better on a college application."

"That isn't it." Lana sounded slightly angry. "I just figured you could ghost-ride until you were reinstated."

"Okay, so then, I would work for you?"

"The paper would still be yours."

Chloe grimaced when Clark's voice interrupted. "Wait, Chloe, think about it." He said, trying to calm her down. "It's not a bad idea."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "It figures you'd side with her."

"I'm not taking anyone's side."

"Yeah right, Clark." Snarled Chloe, tightening her grip on Sam's hand. "You're completely objective in all things Lana."

There was a silence on the other end of the phone, Chloe sobbing slightly. "I've got to go." Clark whispered, sounding hurt.

Chloe sniffed. "No, please Clark, stay." She growled. "Take my desk."

"Chloe, this isn't what you think." Lana said, her voice still calm.

"You know what the weirdest part is?" Chloe cried. "For a second, I almost thought you were my friend." She hung up, leaning her forehead against the window and slipping her hand from Sam's. "My god, I'm so sorry." She whispered, her breath fogging the window up. "I mean, Dean's dying and I'm crying over a newspaper."

"It's alright." Dean grinned at her. "What's that…death is but the next great adventure?"

Chloe looked up at him, a wobbly grin on her face. "You've read Harry Potter?"

Dean frowned, looking away, embarrassed. "No…"

Sam sniggered.

*

Dean glanced out the window, frowning as Sam drew up to a large white tent. He grimaced, watching as Chloe got out the car, then helped Sam lever him out.

"I got you." Sam said as Dean grunted in pain, Chloe grimacing.

"I got it." Dean glanced round, scowling at the number of people. "Man, you're a lying bastard. Thought you said we were going to see a doctor."

"I believe he said specialist." Chloe piped up, and Dean grumbled at her.

"Look, Dean." Sam whispered. "This guy's supposed to be the real deal."

"I can't believe you brought me here to see some guy who heals out of a tent." Dean mumbled.

An older woman overheard them, turning towards them and smiling. "Reverend LeGrange is a great man." She told them.

"Yeah, that's nice." Dean snarled, and she turned away, shaking her head at them.

Chloe looked round, feeling depressed because she could see so many ill people in one place. She spotted one man waving his arms around frantically as he shouted at the Sheriff.

"I have a right to protest!" he yelled. "This guy's a fraud. And he's conning all these people out of their hard-earned money."

The Sheriff groaned, holding his hand up in attempt to make the man stop speaking. "Sir, this is a place of worship. Let's go."

Dean sniggered. "I take it he's not part of the flock."

"But when people see something they can't explain, there's controversy." Sam said, hoping to convince his brother.

"Come on, Sam, a faith healer?" Dean stared at him, eyes wide.

"Maybe it's time to have a little faith, Dean."

"You know what I've got faith in. Reality." Dean said harshly. "Knowing what's really going on."

"How can you be a skeptic, with the things we see every day?"

"Exactly." Dean answered. "We see them, we know they're real."

"But you know evil's out there, how can you not believe good's out there too?" Sam wondered, talking quietly.

"Because I've seen what evil does to good people."

Chloe nudged Sam as a blonde woman approached them, clearly wondering what they were doing there. Sam pointed her out to Dean who grinned.

"Maybe God works in mysterious ways." She said, and her voice reminded Chloe of Lana, causing a scowl to flit across her face.

Dean looked her up and down, smirking. "Maybe he does." Sam rolled his eyes. "I think you just turned me around on the subject."

"Yeah, I'm sure." She laughed.

"I'm Dean, this is Sam and Chloe."

Dean held his hand out and she shook it gently, smiling. "Layla. So if you're not a believer than why are you here?"

"Well, apparently my…" Dean quickly glanced from Chloe to Sam before staring intently at Layla. "My siblings, here, believe enough for the three of us."

An older woman approached, laying her hand on Layla's shoulder.

"Come on Layla." The woman whispered. "It's about to start."

As Layla walked away, Dean turned to Sam, leering. "Well, I'll bet you she can work in mysterious ways."

Chloe gagged.

*

"Yeah, peace, love and trust all over." Dean growled, gesturing over at the security camera's lining the tent.

He grimaced, slouching over towards the back but Chloe grabbed his arm. "Come on."

"What are you doing?" Dean sighed. "Let's sit here."

"No, we're sitting up front." Sam ordered.

"What?" Dean groaned. "Why?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Just come on."

"Oh come on." Dean shook his head, upset as Sam and Chloe helped (Dean would say forced) him to the front of the room. "This is ridiculous." He shrugged his arm free from Chloe's grip, stumbling slightly. "I'm good, dude, get off me."

Chloe grinned, pointing towards three seats behind Layla. "Perfect?" she asked.

Another lecherous smirk covered Dean's face, but it wasn't the same as the one Sam was used to seeing. "Perfect..."

Sam rolled his eyes, but pushed Chloe gently towards the seat. "You're by the aisle." He told Dean, sliding in next to Chloe.

Dean sat down, watching as the old reverend walked up on the stage. Dean could tell her was blind, even with the dark sunglasses covering his eyes.

LeGrange smiled at the crowd before raising his hands into the air. "Each morning, my wife, Sue Ann, reads me the news. Never seems good, does it?" The crowd murmured in agreement. "Seems like there's always someone doing some immoral, unspeakable act."

Sam looked round the tent as the preacher continued to speak. He frowned, focussing on an table covered with old wooden crosses and other religious objects. One cross, had an older cross inside a circle on the top of it. He frowned, paying attention to the reverend.

"But I say to you, God is watching." LeGrange continues. "God rewards the good, and He punishes the corrupt." The crowd responded by lots of cheering and he smiled. "Who does the healing look here, friends? The Lord who guides me into choosing who to heal by helping me see into people's hearts."

The crowd murmured but Dean rolled his eyes. "Yeah..." he whispered. "Or into their wallets."

"You think so, young man?" The Reverend look towards Dean, who grimaced, embarrassed.

"Sorry." Dean said, watching as Chloe buried her face in her hands, also embarrassed.

"No, no. Don't be." Smiled LeGrange. "Just watch what you say around a blindman. We've got real sharp ears." The crowd laughed. "What's your name, son?"

Dean glanced round, still mortified. "Dean."

"Dean, I want you to come up here with me." LeGrange said, and his wife got on the stage, ready to welcome Dean.

The crowd cheered, but Layla and her mother looked down, sad.

"No, that's okay." Dean looked down.

Sam gazed at him in shock, while Chloe glanced from Dean to Layla, her mouth falling open as she realised why he was hesitating. "What are you doing?" Sam hissed.

"You've come here to be healed, haven't you?" LeGrange seemed confused.

"Well, yeah, but..." Dean was interrupted by the cheering crowd. "No, maybe you should pick someone else."

The congregation clapped loudly. "No, I didn't pick you Dean, the Lord did."

The crowd encouraged him, screaming and cheering. Sam turned to Dean, grinning. "Get up there!"

Dean stood up slowly, slouching over to the stage, glancing round, reluctant.

"You ready?"

"Look, no disrespect..." Dean said, looking away from the many eyes fixed on him. "But, I'm not exactly a believer."

"You will be, son. You will be. Pray with me, friends." The crowd lifted their arms up, joining hands.

LeGrange lifted one hand up and placed the other on Dean's shoulder. Dean caught his brother's eyes, both nervous. The reverend smiled, moving his hand to Dean's forehead. Dean suddenly felt calm.

"Alright now."

Sam watched as his brother paled, his eyes closing. Sam gulped, reaching for Chloe's hand. He gripped it, not noticing how she was watching Dean with a mix of fear and anxiety. Dean fell to his knees, then collapsed onto the floor.

Sam leapt up, dropping Chloe's hand and running to the stage. "Dean?" he panicked, shaking his brother by the shoulders. He gasped when Dean sat up, eyes wide as he gasped for breath. "Say something."

Dean glanced over Sam's shoulder, seeing a withered, pale man on the stage next to the reverend. He was wearing the sort of black suit you would wear if you were going for a funeral, and he had the white hair. He looked at Dean, then vanished.

*

"So, you really feel okay?" Sam asked his brother, nervous.

Dean rolled his eyes. "I feel fine, Sam."

Dean's gaze flicked up as a female nurse strode into the room, reading paperwork, and he smirked at Sam.

The nurse glanced up, smiling at the brothers. "Well, according to your tests, there's nothing wrong with your heart." She read. "No sign there ever was."

Dean frowned, confused, while Sam grinned at his brother.

"Not that a man your age should be having heart trouble." She muttered. "But still, it's strange it does happen."

"What do you mean, strange?" asked Dean.

"Well, just yesterday, a young guy like you, twenty four, athletic. Out of nowhere, heart attack."

Dean looked concerned, sharing a worried look with his younger brother. "Thanks." He sighed.

"No problem."

Dean watched her leave, then turned to Sam, eyebrows furrowed. "That's odd."

"Maybe it's a coincidence." Sam said, slowly, not even believing himself. "People's hearts give out all the time."

"No, they don't."

"Look, Dean, do we really have to look this one in the mouth? Why can't we just be thankful that the guy saved your life and move on?"

"Because I can't shake this feeling, that's why."

"What feeling?" Sam asked, gazing intently at his brother.

"When I was healed – I just, I felt wrong. I felt cold. And for a second, I saw someone. This old man." Dean shook his head, annoyed. "And I'm telling you, it was a spirit."

"But if there was something there, Dean, I would have seen it." Sam protested. "I mean, I've been seeing an awful lot of things lately."

Dean frowned at the admission. "Well, _excuse_ me, psychic wonder. But you're gonna need a little faith on this one. Sam, I've been hunting long enough to know a feeling like this."

Sam nodded slowly. "I know, but, we're supposed to be looking after Chloe. We can't just take her on a hunt with us."

Dean grimaced. "We're here now Sam." Then he grinned. "And come on, she lives in _Smallville_. I'm sure she's seen worse."

Sam doubted it, but nodded his agreement. "Yeah, alright. So what do you want to do?"

"I want _you_ to go check out the heart-attack guy. I'm gonna get Chloe and visit the reverend."

*

"I feel great." Dean smiled at the reverend. "Just trying to, you know, make sense of what happened."

The reverend's wife reached for her husband's hand, then smiled condescendingly at Dean. "A miracle is what happened. Well, miracles come often around Roy."

Chloe smiled at the couple, leaning forward. "So, the miracles?" she asked, calm as Sue-Ann's flicked instantly over to her. "When did they start?"

"Woke up one morning, stone blind." The reverend replied, tightening his grip on his wife's hand. "Doctors figured out I had cancer. Told me I had maybe a month. So we prayed for a miracle. Now, I was weak, but I told Sue Ann 'You just keep on praying'. I went into a coma. Doctors said I wouldn't wake up, but I did. And the cancer was gone." He took his sunglasses off, staring in Chloe's direction and she looked away, feeling awkward. "If it wasn't for these eyes, no one would ever believe I'd had it."

"And suddenly you could…what? Heal people?" Chloe questioned.

"I discovered it afterwards, yes." He smiled upwards. "Gods blessed me in so many ways."

"And his flock just swelled overnight." Sue Ann cast a proud look at her husband. "And this is just the beginning."

Chloe nodded, getting ready to leave, but Dean grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Can I ask just one last question?"

The reverend turned towards Dean. "Of course you can."

"Why? Why me?" Dean wondered. "Out of all the sick people, why save me?"

"Well, like I said before, the Lord guides me. I looked into your heart and you stood out from all the rest."

Chloe grinned at Dean, who looked confused. "What did you see in my heart?"

"A young man with an important purpose." Roy said, staring directly at Dean. "A job to do. And it isn't finished."

*

"Man, he seemed healthy." Sighed the man, leaning over to stretch. Sam smiled, awkward. "Swam every day, didn't smoke. So, a heart attack seemed kind of bizarre."

"And you said he was running, right before he collapsed?" Sam asked, frowning as the man nodded.

"Yeah, he was freaking out. He said that, uh, something was after him."

"Did he say what?"

"Well, thin air is what." Sam raised an eyebrow. "I mean, it wasn't anything."

Sam concentrated, thinking for a few seconds. "Alright, thanks." He sighed, starting to leave but noticing the clock on the wall was at the wrong time. "Hey, your clock's busted."

"Oh yeah, we, uh, can't get it working." The man grimaced. "It's stuck at 4.17"

Sam paused, glancing round the gym and then back at the clock. "Is that the time Marshall died?"

"How did you know?"

*

Chloe climbed into the Impala, grinning when she saw Layla and her mother approaching the house. She nudged Dean, pointing to them. Dean smirked, closing the Impala door and stalking towards them.

"Hey, Dean." Layla greeted, blushing.

"Hey." Dean replied, grinning.

"How are you feeling?"

"I feel good." Dean answered, glancing up and down her body. "Cured, I guess. What are you doing here?"

"You know, my mom, she wanted to talk to the reverend."

Layla pointed as her mother walked past them and knocked on the door of LeGrange's house. His wife opened the door. "Layla?" she called, and Layla looked at her.

"Yes, I'm here again!"

"Well, I'm sorry..." Sue Ann whispered. "But Roy is resting, and he won't be seeing anyone else right now."

Layla's mother looked down, visibly upset. "Sue Ann, please. This is our sixth time. He's got to see us."

Sue Ann smiled. "Roy is well aware of Layla's situation. And he very much wants to help her just as soon as the Lord allows. Have faith, Mrs Rourke."

Sue Ann closed the door, locking it. Layla's mother turned, spotting Dean and blinking furiously. Dean tried to pretend not to notice the tears in her eyes. "Why are you still even here?" she snarled. "You got what you wanted."

"Mom. Stop." Layla whispered, laying a hand on Dean's arm.

"No Layla, this is too much. We've been to every single service." She choked. "If Roy would stop choosing these strangers over you. Strangers who don't even believe. I just can't pray any harder."

"Layla?" Dean turned to stare into her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I..." Layla stuttered. "I have this thing..."

"It's a brain tumor." Layla's mother told her. "It's inoperable. In six months, the doctors say..."

"I'm sorry." Dean whispered, shocked.

"It's okay." Layla sighed.

"No, it isn't." Layla's mother growled. "Why do you deserve to live more than my daughter?"

She walked away, crying as Layla followed her. Dean grimaced, turning round and walking back to the Impala, slumping into the front seat. Chloe glanced over at him, watching as he pulled away from the reverend's house.

*

Sam glanced up as Dean led Chloe into the motel room. Sam frowned, glancing back down at his laptop. Dean slumped down onto his bed, Chloe looking round for a spare seat. She frowned, before sitting next to Sam, leaning against as she tried to read over his shoulder.

"What d'you find out?" Dean asked.

"I'm sorry." Sam whispered, looking up at Dean, eyes wide and apologetic. "Marshall Hall died at exactly 4.17."

"The exact time Dean was killed?" Chloe asked and Sam tensed, noticing how close Chloe was.

"Yeah. So I put a list of everyone Roy's healed, six people over the past year, and I cross-checked them with the local obits." Sam said, passing a pile of papers to Chloe who turned to him, impressed. "Every time someone was healed, someone else died. And each time the victim died of the same symptom LeGrange was healing."

"Someone's healed of cancer, someone dies of cancer?" Chloe asked, reading through the mass of paper.

"Somehow. LeGrange – he's trading one life for another."

"Wait, wait, wait." Dean interrupted, gesturing for Chloe to hand over the sheets. "Are you saying Marshall Hall died to save me?"

"Dean, the guy probably would've died anyway. And someone else would have been healed."

"You never should've brought me here."

"But Sam, some guy is dead now because of me."

"He didn't know." Chloe interrupted, not wanting them to get into a fight. "How is Roy doing it? He's trading a life for a life?"

"Oh he's not doing it." Dean said suddenly. "Something else is doing it for him."

"What do you mean?" she asked, leaning away from Sam and closer to Dean with interest.

"The old man I saw on stage." Dean said slowly. "I didn't want to believe it but deep down I knew it."

"You knew what? What are you talking about?" Sam asked, confused.

"There's only one thing that can give or take life like that." Dean told them, smirking when his brother exchanged a confused glance with Chloe. "It's a reaper."

"A what?" Chloe asked.

"It's bad." Dean told her.

"What? I'm actually on this hunt with you and you won't tell me anything?" Chloe asked, shocked. "Maybe I'm considering being a hunter." Sam shot a worried look at Chloe, shaking his head. "I mean, my reporting career seems to have ended already." There was an awkward silence. "So you really think it's the grim reaper?" Chloe changed the subject, smiling. "Like angel of death, collect your soul, the whole deal?"

"No. Not the _grim_ reaper, a reaper." Dean answered. "There's reaper lore in pretty much every culture on earth. Go by a hundred different names. It's possible that there's more than one of them."

"What did you see?" Chloe asked, finally leaning back into Sam.

"A dude in a suit." Dean grimaced. "You said it yourself that the clock stopped, right?" He rifled through the papers, handing a picture of a reaper to Chloe. She showed it to Sam, who scowled. "Reapers stop time. And you only see them when they're coming at you, which is why I could see it and you couldn't."

"Maybe." Sam nodded, turning away from the laptop to face Dean and slipping an arm around Chloe's shoulder.

Dean smirked. "There's nothing else it could be, Sam. The question is _how _Roy's controlling the thing."

"That cross."

"What?"

"There was this cross. I noticed it in the church tent. I knew I had seen it before." Sam pulled a pack of tarot cards from his pocket and started to shuffle through it. He drew one card, handing it to Chloe. She glanced at it, frowning at the picture of a skeleton with a crown on its head, a cross in the corner. "Here."

Chloe passed it over to Dean, who dubiously raised an eyebrow. "A tarot?"

"It makes sense." Sam protested and Chloe nodded.

"Tarot dates back to the early Christian era, right?" she asked.

Sam grinned at Chloe. "When some priests were still using magic. A few of them veered into the dark stuff. Necromancy and how to push death away, how to cause it."

"So Roy's using black magic to bind the reaper?" Dean asked.

"If he is, he's riding the whirlwind. It's like putting a dog leash on a Great White."

"Okay, then we stop Roy."

"How?"

"You know how."

"Wait, what the hell are you talking about, Dean?" Sam said, shocked. "We can't kill Roy."

"Sam, the guy's playing God, he's deciding who lives or dies, that's a monster in my book."

"No." Sam commanded. "We are not going to kill a human being, Dean. If we do that, we're no better than he is."

"Okay, so we can't kill Roy, we can't kill death. Any bright ideas?"

"If Roy is using some kind of black magic," Chloe said, hesitantly. "We've got to figure out what it is and then we can work out how to break it."

*

Sam and Dean leapt out of the Impala, Sam turning to Chloe with worry. "Look, you just stay in here." He ordered and Chloe rolled her eyes but allowed Dean to close the door and lock it.

The brothers walked together towards the large white tent. "If Roy is using a spell, there might be a spell book."

"See if you can find it." Dean nodded, pointing Sam towards the reverend's house. "But hurry up, the service starts in fifteen minutes. I'll try to stall Roy."

Sam nodded, pausing as they passed a man handing out flyers. "Roy LeGrange is a fraud. He's no healer." He was shouting.

"Amen, brother." Dean grinned at the man.

"You keep up the good word." Sam smiled at the man.

"Thanks."

Dean and Sam hid behind a caravan, watching as Sue Ann led Roy out of their house and into the tents. When they entered teh tent, Sam grinned at his brother then jogged over to the house, sneaking round and pushing through one of the windows.

He walked slowly through the dark rooms, his torch skimming over the walls. The light caught a bookshelf and Sam grinned, feeling round the room for the lightswitch. It flickered on, allowing Sam to clearly see the books. He frowned at the amount of dust covering the books, running a finger across the top of them.

He winced, spotting a dustless book and reading the title. "Encyclopaedia of Christian History" he mumbled, pulling it out from the bookshelf.

He flipped through it, not noticing anything and going to place it back on the shelf. He paused, seeing a smaller book on the case. He put the Encyclopaedia down on the table and reached for it. He then skimmed through the book, seeing the picture of the reaper on a page. He turned back a page, seeing the cross.

Sam grimaced, shaking the book and allowing paper clippings to fall into his hands. He sunk into an armchair, reading them. The first was about a local teacher who was openly gay, whilst teh other had a headline reading 'Local Abortion Rights Advocate Calls For End To Violence Against Women'. The final clipping was about the parking lot protester, David Wright, calling LeGrange's church a cult.

Sam folded the book up, stunned, placing it back on the shelf and reaching for his phone and calling Dean's number.

"What do you got?" Dean answered.

"Roy's choosing victims he sees as immoral." Sam told him, hearing the chattering of a crowd on Dean's end of the line. "And I think I know who's next on his list. Remember that protester?"

"The guy in the parking lot?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll find him." Sam decided. "But don't let Roy heal anyone."

*

Dean hung up, turning his attention back to the service.

"Layla." Said Roy, staring blindly at the crowd. "Layla Rourke, come up here child."

Dean cursed as he watched Layla's mother engulf her daughter in a hug before herding her up onto the stage. Dean reached out, grabbing Layla's arms as she passed him.

"Layla, listen to me, you can't go up there." Dean whispered, panicking as she looked at him, eyes wide.

"Why not?" she murmured. "We've waited for months."

"You can't let Roy heal you." Dean snarled, frustrated.

"I don't understand." She cried, quiet. "I mean, Roy healed you, didn't he? Why wouldn't I at least let him try?"

"Because if you do, something bad is going to happen. I can't explain, I just need you to believe me."

"Layla?" asked Sue Ann, holding out her hand.

"Please..." Dean begged.

Layla glanced from Roy to her mother before shaking her head. "I'm sorry."

Dean grimaced, watching as Roy raised his arms. "Pray with me, friends." He smiled, turning to Layla. "I hope you're ready."

"I am."

Roy lowered his hand towards Layla's forehead and Dean panicked. "Fire!" he yelled. "Hey, tent's on fire!" The crowd looked around frantically, then started to run out of the tent. "Fire! Everybody get out of here!"

"No!" Layla's mother yelled from the front of the tent, waving her arms in desperation. "No, please! Don't stop! Please! Reverend, please! Please! Please, don't stop!"

Dean frowned, dialling Sam's familiar number on his phone. "Friends, if you'd all leave the tent in an orderly fashion." Roy said loudly, smiling as everyone calmed down slightly.

"I did it. I stopped Roy." Dean said as soon as Sam picked up.

"David, I think it's okay." Sam said and Dean frowned. "No! Dean, it didn't work! The reaper's still coming! I'm telling you it must not have worked. Roy must not be controlling this thing!"

"Well, then who the hell is?" Dean snarled, scanning the tent, spotting Sue Ann in the corner, her back turned. "Sue Ann..."

He hung up, walking over to her and turning the woman round, eyes widening when he saw that her necklace had the cross, identical to the one from the tarot card.

"Help! Help!" she cried and Dean shook her in anger. "Help me!"

Dean felt two hands grip his arms, then he was led out by two policemen, Sue Ann following him.

"I just don't understand." Sobbed Sue Ann. "After everything we've done for you, after Roy healed you. We're very, very disappointed, Dean." She turned to the policemen. "You can let him go. I'm not going to press charges. The Lord will deal with him as he sees fit."

She walked away.

"We catch around here again son," threatened the policemen. "And we'll put the fear of God in you."

Dean smirked. "Yes, sir. Fear of God. Got it." He turned, spotting Layla standing behind him. "Layla."

"Why would you do that, Dean?" she whispered. "When it could've been my only chance."

"He's not a healer."

"He healed you."

"I know it doesn't seem fair. And I wish I could explain, but Roy's not the answer. I'm sorry."

"Goodbye Dean." She whispered, tears trailing down her cheeks. "I wish you luck. I really do."

"Same to you." Dean replied. "You deserve it a lot more than I do."

*

"So Roy really believes?" Chloe asked, sitting on Sam's bed in the motel, Sam leaning against her legs as he skimmed through the black book.

"I don't think he has any idea what his wife's doing." Dean told them.

"Well, I found this hidden in their library." Sam held the book up for them. "It's ancient. Written by a priest who went to the dark side. There's a binding spell in here for trapping a reaper."

Dean snatched the book, reading through it. "Must be a hell of a spell."

"Yeah." Sam agreed. "You've got to build a black altar, with seriously dark stuff. Bones, human blood." Sam ignored Chloe's gulp. "To cross the line like that, that preacher's wife. Black magic, murder. Evil."

"Desperate?" Chloe suggested. "I mean, her husband was dying. She'd probably have done anything to save him. She was probably using the binding spell to keep the reaper away from Roy."

"Cheating death." Sam nodded. "Literally."

"Yeah, but Roy's alive so why's she still using the spell?" Dean asked.

"Right. She's using the reaper to kill the people she thinks are immoral."

"May God save us from half the people who _think_they're doing God's work."

"We've got to break that binding spell Dean."

"You know, Sue Ann had a cross like this." He pointed at the Tarot Card on the bedside table. "And when she dropped it, the Reaper backed off."

"So, you think we've got to find the cross or destroy the altar?"

"Maybe both." Dean scowled. "Whatever we do, we better do it soon."

*

Once again, the Impala pulled up in the church parking lot and the brothers got out, locking Chloe inside the Impala. She smiled reassuringly at them, before slumping against the window, her breath clouding on the glass.

"That's Layla's car. She's here." Sam cursed.

"Yeah." Dean grimaced.

"Dean?"

"You know, if Roy would have picked Layla instead of me, she'd be healed right now."

"Dean, don't."

"And if she's not healed tonight, she's going to die in a couple of months."

"What's happening to her is horrible." Sam said, worried. "But what are you going to do? Let somebody else die to save her? You said it yourself, Dean, you can't play God."

They pushed open the curtain into the tent, seeing the large amount of people waiting in the tent.

"Everyone, please, gather round. Come in closer. Come on up." Roy said, smiling.

Layla walked up to the stage, smiling at everyone. Dean cursed. "Where's Sue Ann?"

"House." Sam realised, both of them running back out the tent and over to the house.

"Go find Sue Ann." Dean told Sam, grinning. "I'll catch up."

Sam watched, confused as Dean ran round the side of the house. Sam frowned, but pulled a torch out of his back pocket, looking for an entrance into the house. His eyes widened when he saw a door into a cellar. He prised the door open, sneaking down the stairs, eyes widening when he saw the altar. It was black and red, a picture of Dean in the centre, a cross of blood covering it.

Sam swore, turning to get out, when the door slammed shut.

"I gave your brother life and I can take it away." Sue Ann's voice came from the opposite side of the door and Sam tensed. "Sam, can't you see? The Lord chose me to reward the just and to punish the wicked. And your brother is wicked. He deserves to die, just as Layla deserves to live. It's God's will." Sam ran over to a small window in the cellar, pushing against as he tried to get out. When he failed, he screamed angrily, overturning the altar. "Goodbye, Sam."

*

Chloe watched as Dean walked swiftly through the parking lot, attempting to avoid the policemen scouring the area. He hid behind a trailer as the policemen came over to the Impala, clearly having spotted Chloe in the car.

They rapped on the window and Chloe wound the windows done, smiling tiredly at him.

"Miss? Are you alright?" the policeman asked.

"I'm fine. Just waiting for my brothers." She answered. "Are you looking for someone?"

"As a matter of fact, we are." The policeman frowned at her. "Have you seen anyone?"

"No, no one's been here." Chloe lied. "Haven't seen anyone. I'll look out for someone though. If I see anything, I'll tell you."

The policeman smiled at her, nudging his partner then leaving the car park. Chloe breathed in relief as Dean slipped back out from behind the trailer, walking into the one of the lanes. He paused, and Chloe watched as he looked round, then fell to his knees, groaning in pain.

Chloe swore, winding down the rest of the window and throwing herself through the open window, rolling when she hit the ground. She winced, her shoulder aching, but stood up, running through the parking lot, past Dean, who was writhing in pain on the floor.

She stood, eyes wide when she spotted Sue Ann standing by the tent. She glanced quickly at Dean, before taking in a deep breath and running at full speed, tackling the reverend's wife to the ground and ripping the cross from her neck. It fell to the ground, shattering.

"No!" Sue Ann yelled, grabbing Chloe by the wrists and throwing her to the floor. Chloe grimaced, holding a hand against her shoulder in pain, watching as Sue Ann scrambled to pick up the broken cross. "My God, what have you done?!"

"He's not your God." Chloe said, quietly, watching as Sue Ann glared at her.

Sue Ann's gaze changed, eyes widening in fright as she fell to the floor, gripping her head. She twitched, then lay still.

Chloe shook, scared, then ran back to the car. Sam ran over to her, Dean having got him out the house when he recovered.

"I was so worried when we got back to the car and you weren't there." Sam breathed. "Where were you?"

Chloe ignored him, turning to Dean. "Are you okay?"

"A little bit weak." Dean grinned.

"What? Did you stop the reaper?" Sam asked, glancing at her in shock. "What happened?"

"Nevermind." Chloe said, her voice shaking.

Sam nodded, helping her into the car before joining Dean at the front. "Alright, we should get going."

*

Chloe walked into Smallville High, frowning at the empty corridors. Sam and Dean were behind her, glancing round.

"I think they're in lessons." Chloe said, reaching for that day's issue of the Torch, turning back to the brothers with a sad expression.

Sam slung an arm around her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, Dean sniggered and Chloe winced, shrugging her shoulder away from him. Sam looked down as Chloe read the Torch, suddenly snorting with laughter.

"What?" Sam asked, not expecting Chloe to be happy if she was reading the Torch.

"Kwan crushes freedom of speech." She read, before grinning and running towards the Torch office, the brother's hot on her heels.

She paused outside the door, shushing the brothers as she leant into the doorway. "Did you do this because you thought I'd reinstate Miss Sullivan?"

Sam glanced at her, not sure who was speaking. "It's Kwan." She told him.

"I did this because ti's the right thing to do." Said a sweet voice, and Dean rolled his eyes. "Chloe was born for this job."

"Although I do admire her passion, her reporting lacks accuracy." Kwan continued.

Chloe rolled her eyes, stepping into the room and smirking as Lana jumped in shock. "I can work on that." She said, the two brothers stepping behind her.

Lana glanced at the two brothers and then at Chloe. "If you want your job back, Miss Sullivan, don't print what you can't prove." Kwan said sternly. "Do we have a deal?"

"Yeah. Thank you, Principal Kwan."

"Don't thank me. Thank Miss Lang." He swept past the brothers, and out the room.

"Congratulations." Lana said, smiling sweetly at Chloe. "You deserve it."

"Thanks." Chloe said, looking down, embarrassed. "You know, Lana, I'm sorry I flipped out on you the other day. I just...was having a bit of a hard time....you know, the paper's kind of my identity and it's like..." Chloe shot an embarrassed look at Sam before turning back to Lana, wiping tears from her eyes. "It's like the only thing that Clark and I do together and when I saw you here..."

"You thought I was trying to cut Clark out of your life?" Lana sounded shocked.

"Nobody ever said I was rational." Chloe didn't notice how Sam had tensed, while Dean watched them with interest.

"I want to be friends with you, Chloe." Lana said, staring at Dean with a strange look on her face. "But I don't want to stand between you and Clark."

Dean noticed Lana's gaze and raised an eyebrow, smirking as she glanced away, blushing. He glanced at Sam in amusement.

"Oh no, don't worry." Chloe said, rubbing her eyes as she attempted to stop tears from escaping. "There's nothing between us. We're just good friends. How about you?"

"Same thing. We're just friends."

"Good. I'm glad we got that out of the way. Now let's see what you've messed up since I've been gone."

She glanced at the brothers then gestured at the door. Dean nodded, leading Sam out the room.

"What's with the whole Clark and Chloe thing?" Sam asked, and Dean sniggered.

"Worried that he'll steal her from you?" Dean asked, and Sam shot him an incredulous look. "Yeah, yeah, she's in high school."

Sam nodded. "Exactly, there's not even anything going on with me and Chloe."

Dean rolled his eyes, leading him down the corridors. "Yeah right."

"Dude, I'm glad you're alive."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed. Please review!**


	10. Shimmer

**I'd like to thank blaker316 and Carol Alves for reviewing the last chapter! So, here's the next chapter!**

Shimmer

"Come on; don't tell me you're _afraid _of needles?"

Dean frowned. "No, I've just had enough of hospitals."

"Yeah...course." Chloe laughed, passing a sheet over to him. "Just sign up, already."

Dean shook his head, pushing the paper away. Sam rolled his eyes, picking the pen up and finding a time on the sheet, signing his name. Chloe grinned, opening their father's journal to a marked page, her eyes darting across it.

"You know, this is really interesting reading..." she said, grinning across the table. "...if hunting fails, you could always make a horror movie."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "We gave you that to read so you don't get hurt if you ever come on a hunt with us again."

"Which you won't." Sam added, laughing at her insulted expression.

"I don't want to." She laughed. "It's a good read, not a good career choice."

Dean rolled his eyes, looking up as Gabe came downstairs, glancing from the brothers to the journal to Chloe with a disappointed look in his eyes. Dean frowned, knowing that Gabe hadn't been very happy with them since they had taken Chloe on a hunt, no matter how accidentally.

He walked over, snatching the journal from underneath Chloe's hands. "That's not suitable." He snapped.

"I'm just reading... I'm not hunting anything in it!" Chloe protested.

"You're just reading now." Gabe said. "But you don't want to get involved in hunting. It's dangerous, and you hardly ever get out of it alive."

He left the room and Chloe turned to the brother's in shock. "What was that about?" she asked.

Sam shrugged, looking down at the table with guilt, upset that they had lost some of Gabe's trust. Chloe grimaced, sitting with the brother's in an awkward silence.

They started when Chloe's mobile rang. She reached for it, checking the number and smiling. "Clark?" she answered, and Dean rolled his eyes. "Yeah?... Oh my god. ...Yeah, I'll be right there." She hung up and Sam looked at her, questioningly. "Troy was attacked in the locker room." She answered, looking excited. "By nothing. Whatever it was...it was invisible. We're meeting Clark at the Beanery."

Dean grimaced, but reached for his car keys, and walking over to the door. Chloe slipped outside, not even calling to tell her dad where she was going. Dean and Sam exchanged amused glances.

"Gabe!" Dean called, tossing Sam the keys. "We're going to the Beanery."

There was no reply, so Dean closed the door loudly and joined them in the car, quickly pulling away from the house and driving towards the Beanery.

They arrived and Chloe jumped out the car, running over to Clark and grabbing his arm. Clark smiled down at her, then stared at the brothers, clearly getting used to them being around Chloe. He simply rolled his eyes, then leant down to talk to Chloe quietly.

Sam rolled his eyes, but walked over to them, grinning as Chloe quickly questioned Clark over Troy's attack.

"So you didn't see anything?" she asked, letting Clark lead her through into the coffee shop, the brothers trailing behind them.

"By the time I got around the corner, Troy was already on the floor." Clark answered, leading them over to a table.

"But you said he heard a voice." Chloe questioned. "What about that?"

Clark laughed. "What are you thinking, Chloe, that the locker room's haunted?"

Sam and Dean glanced at Clark in shock, but Chloe laughed. "Not unless the meteor rocks can conjure up the ghost of dearly departed jock straps, which I seriously doubt."

Dean's interest was diverted when a waitress started to clean their table, Sam rolled his eyes at his brother as Clark snorted. "Thank You." He said to the waitress. "Well, it's nice to see you still have your standards."

"Yeah."

Chloe grinned as Whitney and Lana walked into the Beanery, then went to the front counter. Lana tried to pass something to Whitney, but he shrugged her away.

"I don't have time right now." He said quietly.

Chloe turned to Clark with raised eyebrows, before leaning on her arms, trying to hear what was going on.

"Look, if you don't want to help me with this blood drive, then say no." Lana replied, looking angry.

"That's not it."

"That doesn't look pretty." Chloe said, whispering to Clark.

"Then what is it?" Lana asked.

"I really don't want to talk about this right now, okay?" Whitney snarled.

"No, it's not okay! You have been avoiding me for a _week_! Every time I ask you what's wrong, you push me away. I'm worried about you."

"Don't be." Growled Whitney. "I just need some space."

"If that's what you want, fine." Lana spat. "But if you can't even confide in me, I don't even know why we're going out in the first place."

Lana stalked away, directly towards Clark. Chloe's eyes widened and she glanced at the three men in shock. "Quick, pretend we weren't watching!" she whispered, straightening up.

"Hey, Lana, how's it going?" Clark asked, grinning up at her innocently.

Lana grimaced. "Not great, but thanks for pretending to be clueless."

Chloe sniggered. "Would it cheer you up if we offered to volunteer a pint for tomorrow?" she asked.

"Let's find out." Lana smiled at her friend. "How about 9.45? That's open."

"Cool." Chloe grinned. "And Sam and Dean need a time too."

Sam nodded but Dean shook his head and Lana giggled. She signed Chloe and Sam up. "There, better already." She said happily. "Clark? What time can we schedule you?" Clark looked down at the table, nervous. "We didn't pick a time for you yet. When can I put you down?"

"Actually, I'm not sure." Clark admitted. "Can I get back to you?"

"Sure. Not a problem." Lana looked disappointed, but smiled anyway.

"Well, I mean, I figure I could help out. You know, sign people up, pass out cookies."

"That'd be great." Lana smiled properly this time, catching Clark's eye and staring at him. Chloe fidgeted slightly, glancing between Clark and Lana. "Thanks."

She walked away, and Chloe laughed weakly. "Bye." She turned to Clark, eyebrow raised. "Okay, nice recovery, but am I to assume your offer to help isn't completely without an ulterior motive?"

Clark rolled his eyes. "I'm just being a good friend."

"Okay."

Chloe clearly didn't believe him. Clark frowned, standing up and walking out the Beanery. Chloe grimaced, then stood up, striding out. Sam and Dean exchanged frustrated glances, and then followed.

"Well, Chloe? That didn't really help." Dean said when they caught up with her. She spun round.

"I think you two should go round the school, with your EMF and video camera." She said, and Dean grinned. "Just because we're in Smallville, doesn't mean that it's free of ghosts and spirits and stuff."

*

Chloe unlocked the door of the school, smiling at the brothers. "You guys are lucky the Principal trusts me with the keys."

"Chloe, we'd have got in without you." Dean said, plugging headphones into the EMF. "We're not morons."

"Yeah, right." Chloe grinned. "And I suppose I'm waiting in the car."

"You got it."

Dean strode inside and Chloe was left with Sam. She turned to him, eyes wide. "Come on Sam. I can handle ghost-hunting _at school_. There's probably nothing anyway."

Sam shook his head, trying not to look her in the eye. "Sorry, your dad's already mad at us. What if there is something and it gets you."

Chloe rolled her eyes and snatched the camera out his hand. She giggled as Sam glanced up in shock, running after Dean before he could react. Sam grimaced, walking down after them. Chloe glanced back at him, grinning.

She stopped, confused. "Sam?" she called, and Dean turned round, an angry look in his eyes. "How do you put this on night vision?"

Sam rushed over to her, leaning over to her to reach the camera in her hand. He pressed a button and the screen turned blue. She smiled and Sam blushed, moving away from her.

She grinned and continued into the school. Dean turned to Sam with raised eyebrows. "Weak." He said, shaking his head at his brother. "Weak."

They walked further into the school. Chloe paused, passing the camera back to Sam and glancing into the Torch office. "The printer's jammed." She moaned. "Meet you here?"

Dean nodded. "Be careful." Sam said and Chloe rolled her eyes.

They walked away, Sam watching the video camera intently. They scoured the school, but the EMF device didn't go off once. Dean grimaced, finally pushing into the boys' locker room.

Still nothing.

"There's nothing here." Dean said. "Chloe was right. It's probably just meteor rocks."

Sam frowned, leading Dean out the locker room and back to the Torch. Chloe glanced up from the printer and pulled her hand away from where the ink cartridge was. "Nothing?" she asked, wiping her hand against a table, ink staining the wood. "Well, I'm glad. Sam? Put your hand in here for me, would you?"

Dean sniggered.

*

Chloe waved at Dean and Sam as they pulled away from Smallville High, then she strode into school. She headed immediately to the Torch, spotting Clark sitting at the computer, a wad of paper held in his hand.

"What's that?" she asked and Clark looked up at her with a smile.

"I was at Lex's last night and his girlfriend, Victoria, saw a door shaking and beaming with light. When Lex and I tried to get in, it shook harder. Finally we got inside." Clark narrated, Chloe sinking into the chair opposite him. "And the room, it was all dark, but someone had painted things like 'Leave' on the walls."

Chloe smirked. "Sounds exciting." Clark shot her a look, but handed her one of the pictures. She scanned it, going to pin it up on the wall. "Doesn't leave much room for interpretation."

"It _was_ pretty weird." Clark admitted, letting Chloe lean against him as she examined the other photos. "I mean, the door was _shaking. _When we got close, it blew open."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Maybe it was a draught."

"Lex said he felt something brush past him."

"Maybe his Scottish castle came complete with a Poltergeist."

"Well, Police say its vandals. They don't know many ghosts who write in spray paint and own a black light."

Chloe nodded in agreement, pinning up the remaining pictures and turning to Clark with an interested expression. "So, how's the blood drive going?"

"Actually, Lana and I are getting together tonight." Clark grinned happily and Chloe breathed in sharply.

"At her place?"

"Yeah."

"That's very romantic." Drawled Chloe, gazing at Clark with slight jealousy. "Just remember Clark, once you cross that line, you can't hide behind the cloak of friendship anymore." She grinned slightly, trying to joke. "Proceed with caution."

Clark nodded, and Chloe stood up, walking out the room.

*

Dean smiled disarmingly at the female security guard at the gate of the Luthor Mansion, Sam standing beside him. She blushed, opening the gate and allowing them into the grounds. Dean winked at her in thanks, striding through, Sam at his heels.

They'd never been in the mansion before so they walked slowly through the house, casting amazed glances round each room. They approached a large wooden door, hands hovering over where their guns were.

They stopped when the doors opened and a curvy brunette stepped through. She glanced round; her eyes narrowed, then closed the door. Then she turned, catching sight of Sam and Dean.

"Who are you?" she asked, in a posh English accent. "Are you the police?"

Sam nodded, but Dean pasted on a flirtatious grin. "Yes, I'm ... Steve Harris." He flashed his fake badge. "We heard about the vandalism last night from a Clark Kent. He wanted to make sure everything was alright."

She grinned; one eyebrow raised as she scanned Dean's body, and then scanned Sam's. "I'm Victoria Hardwick."

Dean grinned. "_Nice_ to meet you."

Sam rolled his eyes as she blushed. "Well, I have to go. I'm going to change for bed."

Dean smirked, watching as she walked away. Sam sighed, walking further down another corridor, not waiting for Dean to follow. They were walking for a while, looking slightly in different rooms. After some time, Dean pulled the EMF from his pocket and turned it on, noting how it didn't pick up on anything.

"Nothing, Sammy."

Sam rolled his eyes, turning round and stopping when he saw a young blonde girl staring at him. "Hi?"

"What are you doing here?" she snapped, her voice high-pitched.

"We're investigating last night." Sam answered promptly, sensing his brother step up behind him. "Who are you?"

"Amy." She answered quickly. "I work here."

"Really?" Sam asked. "Did you see anything?"

"No." She answered, rubbing her arm slightly.

Sam glanced at her wrist, confused and she frowned, hiding her arm behind her back. "Are you sure?"

"Does Lex know you're here?" she asked, nasally. Sam tensed and she noticed, raising her eyebrows. "Are you even police?"

Dean grimaced, stepping in. "Lex doesn't know, he was in a meeting. We did tell Victoria though."

Her expression changed immediately into livid glare. "Well, that's alright then." She growled, stepping past the brothers and stalking away. They watched her going, exchanging glances as her voice echoed down the corridors. "Victoria doesn't deserve him."

*

"Nothing?" Chloe asked, walking into the empty Torch office. "God, I was hoping it was a Poltergeist."

"I wasn't." Dean deadpanned and Chloe giggled.

"Anyway, I'll look into Amy. See you at home." She said, hearing Dean say goodbye, Sam echoing the words from nearby.

She grinned, hanging up, eyebrows furrowing at the whirring of her computer. She walked over, reading over the website that was blaring from the monitor. "Amlodipine?" she muttered.

Confused, she sat down in front of the computer, examining the desk, finding a small post-it note. It had two words on it, written in Clark's writing. She frowned. "Whitney – Amlodipine?" she read.

She grimaced, reading through the article on screen, and then printing it off. She sat still for a few moments. "I shouldn't." She whispered, then groaned, grabbing the papers, logging off and running down the hallway.

She stopped at the end of the hallway, peering into the cafeteria and seeing Whitney sitting there all by himself. She hesitated, then walked inside, sitting opposite the Quarterback.

He glanced up, confused. "Sullivan?"

"You know my name." She said, her eyes slightly wide. "I just...I found this in the Torch."

He frowned, grabbing the papers off her and scanning them. "Why did you look into this?" he snarled.

"I didn't. _Clark_ did." She said, softening her voice. "It's for high blood pressure."

Whitney's eyes filled with tears and Chloe glanced round, embarrassed. "It's my dad." He admitted. "He's been in Metropolis all week, for tests." His eyes widened, as if he had just realised he was talking to the editor of the Torch. "The doctors don't know if he's going to be okay."

"I'm sure it's going to be alright." Chloe said, feeling awkward. "It's all off-record. I was just giving you a heads-up."

Whitney had tensed at the 'off-record' comment. "Stay out of my life." He growled, ripping up the papers. "I don't even know you."

Chloe glanced down, understanding Whitney's anger.

"Chloe?"

She looked up when Sam's voice echoed through the cafeteria. Whitney looked up, staring from Chloe to the Winchesters in the cafeteria doorway.

"Sullivan. My life is off limits." Whitney whispered, angry, then stood up. He left.

Chloe stood up, staring at the brother's in confusion. "Why are you here?"

"Sam couldn't wait." Dean started before Sam could answer. "He was already missing you."

Chloe laughed as Sam hit Dean, shaking his head at her. "Well, it's around six and I figured you'd probably need a lift."

Chloe grinned at them, impressed. "Dean, you're lucky you have Sam." She said, walking over to join them and linking her arm with Sam's. "At least he thinks ahead."

*

Chloe woke up early, slipping downstairs, eyes widening when she saw Sam leaning on the kitchen table.

"Sam?" she asked. "What are you doing up?"

"I was looking for a possible explanation for this invisible man." He answered, rubbing his eyes.

"Well?" she asked, joining him at the table. "Anything?"

"Poltergeist – but we've already ruled out anything supernatural." He said. "I just find it so hard to believe that meteors can even do this."

Chloe nodded. "No, I agree with you. Just, it is always the meteors."

"I was even going for demonic possession – but then I remembered the EMF would have detected that."

"Demons can possess people?" Chloe gaped and Sam nodded. "Who would it be? Lex's fling?"

"What? That Victoria?" Sam shook his head. "No, his freaky servant."

Chloe raised an eyebrow, starting when her phone rang. She glanced, confused, at Sam before picking it up.

"Clark?...What?...It's a bit early, isn't it?...Yeah, I know, you live on a farm..." She cast an exasperated glance at Sam, but the effect was ruined when she smiled fondly as Clark continued to talk into her ear. "What?...She almost died?...Yeah, yeah, I'll see you there."

She hung up. "Clark has a lead on the whole invisible man thing."

Sam rolled his eyes. "And I'm guessing he wants to meet at the Torch."

"Yeah, you coming?" she asked.

Sam nodded. "I'll wake Dean, then we'll take the Impala."

Chloe grinned as he walked up the stairs. Soon enough, Dean was staggering down the stairs, Impala keys dangling from his fingers.

"Leave it to Kent to wake me this early." He groaned, but shrugged on his jacket and stepped out into the cool air.

They got quickly to the school and Chloe opened the door, leading them the now familiar route to the Torch office. Clark spun round in his chair, grinning inanely up at them when they entered. His smile didn't even falter when he saw the brothers, obviously having expected them.

"Whatever it is tried to kill someone." Clark said, and Chloe's jaw dropped, rushing over to her best friend. "Victoria Hardwick. She was nearly drowned." Clark lifted a plastic bag up onto the desk and emptied out pieces of broken glass. "And it was definitely a someone not a something."

"What makes you say that?" Dean asked, stepping closer to the table.

Clark picked up one piece of glass, examining it and then showing it to Chloe. "That's definitely blood."

Chloe turned on the sidelight, glancing at Sam with frustration. "Doesn't exactly fit the Casper paradigm." She agreed. "Which means that whoever attacked you and Victoria in the bathroom was..." she sighed. "...invisible." She took the mirror pieces from Clark, lifting it closer to her eyes and scanning them. She frowned. "What's this green stuff?"

Sam and Dean stepped closer as she ran her fingers over the sides of the mirror, then sniffed them. "Smells like roses." She noted, and they nodded, unsure how this helped.

Sam stepped closer when Chloe's eyes widened. "Uh...Clark?" she whispered, holding her hand up so everyone could see them.

Her finger tips were invisible. Sam reached for her hand, turning it over in his hand, amazed.

"What happened?" Clark asked in shock.

"I just touched it." Chloe said, allowing Sam to stop examining her hand, not noticing how he was just holding it. "Now I'm officially weirded out. What is this?"

"I don't know." Clark said, picking up the green-tinted shard. "But if you rubbed that all over you'd be..."

"Naked?" interrupted Chloe, not seeing how both Sam and Clark gulped.

"You'd be invisible." Clark finished.

Chloe reached for a spare piece of paper and rubbed her fingers, removing the green dust and watching as her fingers came back into view.

"Okay," Chloe smirked. "So what's the next course of action? Do we call the police?"

"And report an invisible person?" Clark asked, incredulous. "We need a viable suspect."

"Well, who's got a problem with Lex's British fling?" Chloe asked.

"Not me." Dean said, smirking lecherously.

Clark stared, disgusted, before continuing. "Amy Palmer."

"Yeah, her parents are on the mansion's staff." Chloe said, and Sam's eyes widened. "Sam and I already suspected her." She whispered, not adding 'as a victim of demonic possession'.

"Amy said she saw Victoria snooping around Lex's bedroom." Clark mentioned. "She said Victoria didn't see her."

"No wonder." Chloe grinned. "Wait, didn't Amy give blood?"

Clark glanced at her, and then nodded. "3.45, station B."

"Whoa." Chloe said, eyes wide. "You have a freakishly good memory." Dean glared, watching Clark intently, suspicious of the tall freshman once again. "Okay, I'll get the blood type on the broken piece of glass and check it against Amy's."

"Great." Clark smiled at Chloe. "Call me later?"

Chloe grinned up at him. "Top of my speed dial."

Dean rolled his eyes as Sam tensed his jaw. Chloe turned to them, eyes widened innocently. "Guys…"

"What?" Dean asked. "Got a job for us?"

"It's maybe not your sort of thing, but…" Chloe smirked. "I was thinking you should look round the Luthor grounds. Amy lives there, so it's probably where she got the meteor dust from."

Dean grimaced, but nodded, watching as his brother grabbed a bloodless piece of glass, examining the green material.

"It looks more like pollen to me." Sam said, thoughtfully. "Chloe?"

She frowned, re-examining it before nodding. "You're right. So while you're in the garden look for a meteor infected rose."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Seriously?" he asked. "As this goes on, it's getting even less believable."

Chloe raised an eyebrow, amused. "And that's coming from a ghost hunter?"

*

Sam flung himself over the large metal fence surrounding LuthorCorp, and then waited for his brother to do the same. Dean grinned when he landed, striding along a garden path. Sam followed, glancing round. He paused, catching sight of a small set of cottages pasted to the side of the castle.

"Dean." He called, waiting for his brother to turn round.

Dean turned, confused, following Sam's stare. "Right, check the servant's quarters."

He stepped off the path onto the perfect lawn, and jogged across. Sam quickly checked that no one was looking, then followed. Surrounding the cottages were many small gardens. Dean rifled through them, occasionally pulling flowers or grass out.

Sam whacked his brother's arms, watching him stop destroying the plants. Dean stepped back, allowing Sam to check the garden as he tried to peer through the windows.

Sam reached round the garden, checking different leafs and petals. He brushed against a few plants, but didn't falter. Dean turned round. "Sam?" he asked, hoping to see if he'd found anything. Then he frowned, running over to Sam and pulling his arm away from the garden. "Sammy?"

Sam pulled his arm away. "What?"

"You have an invisible spot on your arm." Dean said, watching as Sam's eyes widened and he raised his arm in front of his eyes. He swore, getting down onto his knees and searching through the shorter plants. Dean grabbed a plant, raising it to Sam's eyes. "What about this?"

"That's a fern." Sam answered, still searching.

Sam's eyes widened as he caught sight of a bright green rose. He plucked it, handing to Dean.

"Aw, you shouldn't have." Dean sighed, before grinning at his brother's annoyed stare and snatching the rose from Sam's hand. "Well?"

"That's the colour of the meteor rocks." Sam told him, running a finger across the stigma of the rose, then raising his hand and grinning when he saw the pad of his finger was invisible. "Got it."

*

Chloe pulled up in the Kent's dirt road and climbed out her father's car. She hoped that the brother's had her message and would meet her there, but she didn't have a lot of time. She stepped into the barn, easily able to hear Clark upstairs. She walked slowly, pausing when Clark's mother suddenly spoke.

"How'd it go with Lana?" she had asked.

"We're still friends." Clark answered, sounding depressed.

"Are you okay with that?"

"No...but I think it's the right call for now."

Chloe grimaced, finally climbing the stairs and pasting on a wide grin. "Hello!" she chirped. "Hey, Mrs Kent."

"Hi, Chloe." Martha said, "I'll see you later."

Chloe sat next to Clark as Martha left, hearing Clark's mom greet someone before she left the barn. Sam and Dean were soon at the top of the stairs, a green flower in their hands. Clark winced, suddenly looking ill.

"Can you put that away?" he groaned, and Sam and Dean exchanged confused glances. "Hay Fever."

Sam frowned, but put it in a drawer in Clark's desk, watching him straighten up. Chloe chose not to comment on the fact that Clark had never had Hay Fever before, instead moving closer to Clark to allow Sam to join them on the sofa. Dean sat on the coffee table.

"Okay," Chloe started, glancing down shyly as the three men turned to stare at her. "So, bad news on the Dracula front. The drop of blood found on the mirror was Type A. Amy's a Type O."

Clark scowled. "But she had a shrine to Lex in her room."

"What?" Dean asked. "How do you know that?"

"I told Lex about our suspicions and he checked out her family's cottage." Clark explained.

"She may be a little Lex obsessed but she's not the one that tried to off Victoria." Chloe sighed, while Dean smirked at Victoria's name. "Check the paper."

Chloe handed a sheet over to Clark, who scanned it quickly. "Well, Amy's blood type doesn't match but look at Jeff's."

"Jeff?" Sam asked, not having even heard of a Jeff.

"Her brother." Chloe answered. "He's always been so quiet."

"Practically invisible." Clark said, eyes wide as he stood up. "I'll catch up with you later."

Clark ran out the barn, leaving Chloe alone with the Winchesters. She sighed, leaning against the sofa and staring at where Clark had just been sitting.

Sam laid a hand on her shoulder and her eyes flicked towards him. She grinned weakly. "You should probably go check the Luthor mansion. Amy might have gone, but her brother's still around."

*

Once again, Sam and Dean found themselves at the Luthor Mansion front gate. However, unlike last time, there was no security. Dean frowned.

"For a billionaire, he really has poor security." Dean commented. "Not that I'm complaining."

Sam chuckled, forcing the gates apart and stepping inside. They followed the drive up to the wooden front door. They pushed through, striding quickly through the long hallways, and up towards the wooden doors where they had met Victoria.

The doors were open.

Clark stood in the middle of the room, staring round with an intense look on his face. Sam raised his gun, hiding in the doorway, Dean on the other side, able to see every move Clark made.

"Jeff...What happened?" Clark asked.

"Chemistry, Kent." Came a harsh voice from an empty corner of the room. "Some plants don't absorb light. They refract it. I found a weird green rose on the grounds and I studied it. And then I used the oils to become what I've always been...to Lex." Clark turned, staring and the brothers followed his gaze to the fallen body of Lex Luthor lying on the floor. "To the people at school, to everyone."

Sam loaded his gun as a mace rose from the wall and was swung towards Clark's face. It hit him, but shattered into millions of shards, not even scratching the freshman's face. Dean tensed, amazed and incredulous as Sam tightened his grip on the gun, scared to drop it.

"That's right." Jeff hissed, from another part of the room. "I've heard Luthor talk about you like you're something special. Well, I'm special too."

Clark suddenly started choking and pawing at his neck.

"He's choking him." Sam whispered to Dean, readying himself to step out and reveal himself to Clark and Jeff. "Remember, we don't want to kill Jeff, we just want to scare him."

Dean nodded, pausing as Clark thrust an elbow back, and suddenly breathed heavily. He turned, watching as the scaffolding lining the room shook and a paint tin fell, opening and spilling yellow paint. It covered the invisible body of Jeff, dripping over the contours of his face and allowing everyone to see Jeff's upper torso.

Clark ran over to Lex, helping him up. Dean grimaced, running down the corridor, Sam on his heels before anyone could see them.

They stopped outside the gate to catch their breath. "What the hell is Kent?" Dean breathed and Sam shrugged. "It's not normal. We should check for demonic possession for giving him all that super-strength and other powers."

"It's Smallville." Sam agreed. "But he might just be a super-powered meteor freak."

"Why don't we write down what he does in dad's journal, see if we can figure it out?" Dean scoffed. "I mean, we haven't seen a freak with more than one power. For all we know, it's about as likely as him being an alien."

* * *

**Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review!**

**-Artjuice-**


	11. Hug

**I'd like to thank blaker316, tamfoss and Carol Alves, as well as miki:**

**Reply to miki's review: Dean's not too afraid of needles, but he doesn't want to have to do it with no reason, especially with his recent time in hospital. Gabe's overprotective – she gets into enough trouble in Smallville, he doesn't want her travelling America looking for ghosts etc. He thinks she's pretty much guaranteed to die or get injured – he's hoping he can stop her hunting until she leaves home and gets in control of her own life and can't be bossed around by her daddy anymore.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Hug

"Did you hear?" Chloe asked, leaning across the dinner table. Gabe shot her interested, yet angry glare. "About the surveyors?"

"Surveyors?" Sam replied. "What happened?"

"They came out of the woods, screaming." She said, smiling excitedly. Dean glanced up at her, eyebrows furrowed. "I was just thinking, either they're wimps or there's something in the woods."

Sam smiled, but didn't seem that excited. "Chloe...I know you keep trying to find us cases, but we've been here a few months now and we've learnt – in Smallville, it's never supernatural. It's always meteor rocks."

Chloe frowned, glancing down at the table. "Just look into it." She whispered, pushing her dinner away and leaving the room.

Dean sniggered as Sam slumped, knocking his head against the table in frustration. Gabe slid out his seat and made to follow Chloe up the stairs. "Clean up the dishes, will you?" he asked.

Sam quickly cleaned up the dishes, Dean still laughing. "What?" Sam snapped. "Look, just get the Impala. We'll go speak to them."

"Pathetic." Dean shook his head at Sam, but grabbed the keys, leaving the room.

Sam followed, glancing up the stairs, before joining his brother in the Impala.

"There's that Rickman Inc building on the main street." Dean grinned at his brother. "Let's check there."

They pulled up in front of the large building, jumping out the car and peering through the windows, seeing a group of people sat round a table in the centre of the room. They opened the door, smiling nervously as the surveyors turned to them.

"Hey." Said Dean, grinning. "We're looking into the wood incident."

The surveyors stared at them in a mix of confusion and fright. "Can you tell us anything?" Sam asked gently. "Do you remember anything?"

"We were frightened." Said one, finally answering them. "That's why we were running out the woods."

Dean grimaced. "Yeah, but why?"

The surveyor frowned, staring down at the table. "See...I just...I can't remember."

*

Dean frowned, sighing as he flipped the journal closed. "Why did we start looking into this again?" he groaned. "Oh yeah, Chloe wanted us too."

"I wouldn't but you know, all theses cases of amnesia could be related to severe trauma." Sam said, glancing up as Chloe came down the stairs, wrapped in a puffy purple jacket with a blue hat covering her hair. "Going out?"

She grinned, coming over to them and glancing over their shoulders. "Nothing?" she asked, watching as Dean nodded. "Well, I've been thinking, you're right. Smallville may love to attract various meteor freaks but it seems to repel your sort of thing."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Couldn't you have realised this last night?"

She grinned innocently, before turning round and leaving the house.

*

"Okay, here we go." Muttered Chloe, swaying slightly as the horse walked in a circle. She made to reach up to take off her hat, but slipped and leant forward, grabbing the reigns tightly and deciding to ignore the sweat on her forehead. "Whoa."

She tugged at the reigns again and sighed in relief when the horse started to walk down the path, towards Lana and Clark.

"I thought learning to drive my Dad's Volvo was difficult." She said, eyebrows furrowed in concentration in order to stay next to her friends. "But at least the car came with windscreen wipers."

Clark turned to her with an amused smirk. "Chloe, you're doing fine for your first time." Chloe rolled her eyes as his gaze moved slightly, completely ignorant of Chloe as he stared at Lana across the dirt path. "So, how's Whitney holding up?"

Chloe couldn't help but eavesdrop in the conversation that was meant to be private – once again, Clark was ignorant to Chloe whilst in the presence of Lana. "His dad's still in the hospital," Lana admitted, looked very sad. "So he's been working shifts at the store."

"It's tough running a family business." Clark said.

"I think he secretly wants his dad to sell it." Lana smiled weakly. "He doesn't want to be saddled with it when he graduates."

"I don't blame him." Clark chuckled. "I can't see myself as a farmer when I grow up."

"What do you want to do?" Lana asked, ignorant as Chloe's horse bucked slightly and she fell forward, grunting. "Clark?"

"I'm not sure." Clark confessed. "Just as long as it doesn't involve putting on a suit and doing a lot of flying."

Chloe glanced at a Clark, interested, then looked down to get her camera. "Where's my..." she asked, irritated. "Oh... I dropped my camera."

Clark finally turned, looking at Chloe in confusion. "Chloe, what did you bring that thing for anyway?"

"I'm not out doing this butt-bashing thing here for fun." Chloe exclaimed, looking horrified. "These woods are like the Bermuda triangle of Smallville." She frowned as Clark and Lana exchanged an amused glance. "No, I'm serious, guys, people come in here and when they leave, they can't remember a thing." Clark rolled his eyes. "Sam and Dean have been looking into it and there have been dozen of incidences in the past ten years."

Lana looked interested at the mention of the Winchesters but Clark just shot her a strange look. "Why would they be looking into that? Aren't they private investigators or something?"

Chloe smiled. "It's a hobby."

"I'll go get your camera." Lana said suddenly, turning her horse and galloping away from them.

"Thanks." Chloe called after her, turning to Clark.

"Chloe," Clark sounded frustrated. "These stories go back to the civil war."

"No Clark, what I'm talking about happened like a week ago." Chloe stared at Clark, amazed he hadn't heard. "Some surveyors came screaming out the woods and they can't even remember what happened."

"I'm sure you have a theory about this."

Chloe grinned mischievously. "I was thinking some sort of ghosts." She laughed as Clark shot her an annoyed stare. "No, I was thinking...Kyle Tippett."

"The guy who sells weird sculptures in town?"

"Yeah, don't you think it's a bit odd that he lives out here all alone in the woods?"

"Thoreau did." Clark said, eyebrows raised.

"So did the Unabomber."

Clark snorted, his head snapping up as a scream echoed through the woods. Clark leapt off his horse, handing the reigns to Chloe.

"Lana!" he called down the path. "Stay with the horses." He ordered.

He started to run down the path, Chloe turning to adjust her grip on the horses. "Uh...okay." she said, her voice trembling. "Whoa..." she turned, glancing round. Clark was no longer in sight. "Clark?"

She sat on her horse for another fifteen minutes, her knuckles white due to her tight grip on the reigns. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Clark helping Lana back along the path. "Chloe?" he called, looking as though he had forgotten she was there.

"Yeah?"

He pulled his horses reigns from her fist and smiled up at her. "Look, I'm going to take Lana home and then I'll meet you at your house."

Chloe nodded. "Did you find my camera?"

Clark smiled. "Of course, I'll give it to you later."

*

Chloe unlocked the door and stumbled into the living room, collapsing onto a chair, not noticing as the brother's glanced up from their newspapers in shock.

"Alright?" Dean asked, noticing how her legs were shaking.

"I hate horses." She said vehemently.

Dean snorted. Sam smiled, allowing her to stretch her legs out across him. They heard the door open once more, and Chloe raised her head slightly.

"Through here." She called.

The brothers frowned as Clark stepped into the room, Chloe's camera in his hands.

"Lana was attacked by Kyle." He said, suddenly and Chloe gasped. "I think you got it all on camera."

Chloe smiled. "And _that_ is why I brought my camera." The brothers exchanged confused looks. "Look, the wire to connect it is just over there. Plug it in and we'll see what happened."

Clark did as she said, connecting the camera and then showing the recent videos on the screen. Chloe watched, frowning as Lana lay unconscious on the screen. Then Kyle approached, shaking her. Her eyes opened and she screamed.

"You sure he attacked her?" Dean asked, the newspaper now folded at his side.

"I don't know...it doesn't look like he's trying to hurt her." Clark admitted, sitting next to Dean. "He looks like he's trying to help."

"How's Lana?" Chloe asked.

"She has a mild concussion, but other than that, she's fine."

"What about her parents?" Sam asked, frowning as the video repeated.

"Nell?" Clark repeated. "She wants me to go to the police and say that I saw Kyle spook Lana's horse and attack her." Chloe turned to Clark with raised eyebrows. "But that's not what I saw."

"Did this Kyle seem at all dangerous to you?"

Clark shook his head, and then they sat for a few moments in an uncomfortable silence, as it seemed Clark was unwilling to talk in front of the Winchesters. He stood up suddenly. "Well, I'm going to go talk to Kyle." He said, and Chloe sat up, worried. "I'll be fine."

"But what if you forget everything?" she asked, anxious.

"I don't think I'd ever forget you." Clark grinned, striding out the room as Chloe blushed.

*

Clark held the door open of the Beanery in order to let Chloe through, but he released it before Sam and Dean passed through. Dean caught it with a glare, walking through and following the freshmen over to an occupied table.

Chloe sat next to Clark, opposite Lana and Whitney, but the brother's had to pull over chairs. Whitney was staring at them in confusion – recognising them but unsure who they were.

"How are you feeling?" Chloe asked.

"Better, thanks." Lana said and Dean rolled his eyes at her grateful voice. She turned her gaze to Clark. "Nell said you were going to talk to the police."

"Actually, I went out and spoke to Kyle." Clark admitted.

"You talked to that psycho?" Whitney said, sounding horrified.

Sam and Dean stared at him, not entirely sure who he was and why he was being so judgemental. "Yeah." said Clark, looking confused. "He said he was just trying to make sure Lana was okay."

"Do you believe him?" Lana asked.

"Yeah." Clark said, looking down at the table. "I think I do."

"If I were there…" Whitney said, his face dark with anger. "I'd have done something."

Lana turned to look at her boyfriend with a look of adoration and Clark cleared his throat nervously. Chloe glared at the jock who glanced at her with raised eyebrows. "Do you remember anything?" Clark asked, anxious.

"Not really." Lana admitted and Dean rolled his eyes, pushing his chair away and standing up.

"Well, I'm going to go." Dean said when everyone glanced at him.

Clark nodded, joining him. "I gotta get home." he said as Lana glanced up at him in shook. "I'm glad you're okay."

Chloe and Sam followed Dean's idea, Chloe waving to Lana as they started to leave the café.

"Clark!"

They turned, seeing Lex Luthor waving at the freshman. Clark smiled apologetically at Chloe before rushing over. Dean smiled happily, leading the rest out to the Impala.

"What's with the jock?" Dean asked.

Chloe glanced at him as she climbed into the Impala. "He's going through a rough time at the moment."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "And what's with Barbie's whole damsel in distress routine?"

Sam snorted but Chloe scowled. "It must have been scary." she protested. "But, I guess she is being a bit judgemental."

"A bit?"

*

"It could be Kyle." Dean admitted, re-watching the video. "This video doesn't really show everything until _after_ Lana fell from her horse."

"Are you sure it's not your sort of thing?" Chloe asked, trusting Clark's judgement. "Nothing that's scaring people out of their minds?"

Gabe had walked in, hearing Chloe's question, and he glanced angrily at the brothers. "If it is, it's nothing that you should be worrying about."

Chloe's head shot up in shock and she scowled at her father. "Come on, dad." She turned away, ignoring her father's growl. "Sam, you said amnesia could be caused by severe trauma, didn't you?"

"Yeah?" he answered, wondering what she was getting at.

"Well, maybe there's something evil in the woods." She said, frowning in concentration. "Maybe, a wendigo?"

Gabe stared at his daughter, amazed she knew of that, then remembered that the Winchesters had allowed her to read the journal. He scowled, leaving the room with fury.

"This is a case of missing memories, not missing people." Dean said, frowning. "If it was a wendigo, they'd have lost a lot more than their memories."

*

"Clark?" Chloe asked, phone held up to her ear, ignoring the brother's stares. "Kyle's been locked up? We'll be right there."

"We?" Dean asked, already standing up to lead them through to the Impala.

They took the familiar route to the school, watching as Chloe unlocked the front door and ran through to the Torch. She logged onto the computer, starting a computer search as she waited for Clark to turn up.

"What are you searching for?" Sam asked, pulling a chair up next to her.

"Anything about Kyle Tippett." She answered, hoping for his name to come up. She paused, finger hovering above the mouse as Clark entered, Pete behind him. She smiled at her friends. "So, what's up with Kyle?"

"He was arrested for assaulting Whitney." Clark answered.

Chloe frowned. "Attacking Whitney? Why would he do that?" she wondered, scanning the computer screen. "From the way Whitney was acting earlier, you'd think it would be the other way round. I mean, Tippett hasn't broken hermit status in years and all of a sudden he's one of Smallville's most wanted?"

"Something must have made him snap." Pete said, slumping down in a sofa.

"I think its Bob Rickman." Clark stated confidently.

"Yeah, but what does our rural Rodin have against Rickman, other than the obvious 'poisoning the environment' angle?" Chloe asked, rifling through her desks for some papers.

Dean looked confused, not sure what Rickman Inc had to do with the environment. Sam looked at him, then rolled his eyes.

"I don't know." Clark wondered. "Could you do some digging, find a connection?"

Chloe grinned. "Yeah, absolutely." Still searching, she glanced up at Clark. "Sounds like an interesting story – tree-hugging hermit versus pesticide tycoon."

She smirked, pulling two pieces of paper from the pile and holding them next to each other. One had a picture of a smirking Bob Rickman, the other a picture of the bedraggled hermit.

She showed them to Sam, Clark and Pete coming round to look at the pictures. Dean stared at the picture of Rickman before his eyes widened. "Him? He was directly responsible for a case in Wisconsin."

Sam turned to him in shock, Chloe not paying attention as she typed furiously, Pete staring in interest. "And what do you do?"

Dean stuttered, drawing Chloe's attention. "I told you, Pete, they're PIs."

"What was the case?"

Sam almost said 'confidential', but Dean smirked. "Poisoned water, angry civilians...you get the picture."

Sam snorted – 'angry civilians', more like 'angry spirits'. Chloe caught his eye, clearly thinking along the same lines.

Pete sensed the awkwardness emanating from Chloe and the Winchesters. He sighed. "What do you think Rickman and Tippett have in common?" he asked.

Chloe relaxed, smiling. "Definitely not their grooming habits."

Pete sniggered, Sam laughing slightly. Chloe pushed away from the computer, leaning into Sam's side and ignoring Pete's pointed look.

Lana strutted in through the door, scowling. Clark turned his gaze from Sam and Chloe to the ex-cheerleader. "Lana." He smiled happily. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Lana turned, angry, to Pete and Chloe. "May you excuse us for a second?"

Chloe nodded, grabbing Sam's hand and leading him out the room. Sam and Dean made to walk away, but Chloe laughed, grabbing Pete's arm and leaning against the wall outside the Torch. Sam frowned.

"What are you doing?" Sam hissed, albeit slightly amused.

"Eavesdropping."

Dean grinned, joining Chloe by the wall.

"Whitney said you accused him of attacking Kyle." Lana snarled, and Chloe stared at Pete in a mix of shock and amusement.

"I didn't accuse him." Answered Clark, sounding upset. "I just have some questions."

"Like what?"

"Like why was he there?"

"He was just trying to talk to him." Lana sneered. "We both know Whitney can be a little overzealous, but his hearts in the right place."

"I just don't think Kyle would do something like that." Clark protested. "He's not a violent person."

Chloe raised an eyebrow, amazed Clark was standing up for Kyle to Lana. "And you can tell that from knowing him for two days?" Lana whispered. "He's lived in the woods, alone, for ten years."

"Good point." Dean whispered, Sam finally joining them by the door, standing closely behind Chloe. "Even though I hate to agree with Barbie."

Pete snorted, but quickly covered his mouth.

"That makes him odd, not dangerous." Clark hissed.

"Whitney wouldn't attack anybody." Said Lana.

"He strung me up in a field."

Dean couldn't help laughing, and Pete glared at him, forcing him to shut up.

"So that's what this is about?" Lana asked, sounding furious. "You haven't forgiven him."

"I just think there's something else going on here."

"Yeah, there is." Lana growled. "You're looking for an excuse to knock Whitney. You know what he's going through with his dad. If you don't like him, just say so. Don't pretend to be his friend."

There was silence and Chloe panicked. "She's coming out."

They straightened up quickly and rushed away from the door and round the corner. Chloe led the brothers out the corner. "Call you later, Pete?"

Pete nodded slightly, frowning as Chloe led the two brothers out of the school.

*

Chloe sat next to Sam, both of their laptops blazing as they searched for anything relating to Kyle Tippett. Every time Dean looked over at them, he sniggered, before turning his attention back to the news.

The phone rang and Chloe leaned over Sam to get it, answering it with a smile. "Hey Clark!"

Sam grimaced slightly, still typing furiously and Dean snorted at his brother's expression.

"He what?" she gasped, glancing up as her father came into the room, staring at the laptops with a disapproving look. "Look, Clark, everything will be alright... I'll see you at the Beanery in an hour."

She hung up, staring at the wall in shock. "Mr Kent sold the farm." She muttered, and Gabe's mouth dropped open.

"Jonathan sold the family farm?" Gabe asked, astonished. "But it's been in his family for generations. He would never sell it."

"Well, he has."

Dean ignored them, staring back at the TV. "Guys..." he called, but they were still locked in conversation, Sam having joined in. "Seriously, look. Kyle has escaped from jail."

Everyone glanced at the TV headline, and Chloe frowned as an article appeared on her screen. Grinning, she pressed print and then closed the laptop. She picked up the paper before the brothers could reach it.

"How do you think he did it?" Sam was asking.

Dean frowned. "It's Smallville." Dean answered grinning. "If the meteors aren't involved, I'll sell my car."

*

Chloe met Clark outside the Beanery, and Clark grinned at her in greeting, nodding at the Winchesters. He led her inside, straightening at the sight of Bob Rickman.

He glanced round the room, before lightly grabbing Chloe's arm. "Look, sit with Lex and I'll join you in a second."

Chloe nodded as Clark raised his eyes to meet with Rickman's. The brother's followed Chloe as Clark introduced himself, shaking hands tightly with Bob. Chloe slid in opposite Lex, smiling in greeting. He nodded at her, watching as Sam sat next to her and Dean pulled up a chair.

"Lex Luthor." He said, smiling slightly.

"We've already met." Dean said and Lex smirked in recognition.

Everyone relaxed when Clark joined them, sitting next to the billionaire. Chloe grinned, pulling the article out her pocket and laying it on the table. A large picture of Tippett and Rickman covered half the page.

Clark glanced up at Chloe for an explanation, while Sam and Dean read through the article. "Well, Sam and I spent the morning delving into the exotic world of agricultural equipment and it seems that Kyle and Rickman were partners in the mid-80s."

Lex looked up at her, his eyebrow raised. "They sold farm equipment?"

"Yeah, they were Salesmen of the Year, three years running – '89, '90 and '91. Then, the year after, Rickman started his own company and Kyle went Walden."

"Wonder what happened." Clark said, trying to pull the article away from the brothers.

"I don't know exactly but I found this story in the Smallville Ledger." Chloe answered, taking it easily from Sam and scanning through it one more time. "'Salesmen trapped in car after meteor shower'. So, I'm guessing whatever it is started that sunny day in October, twelve years ago."

Lex stood up, a frown on his face. "Let's go ask him." He said to Clark, but loud enough so that Chloe and the brothers could hear.

"You know where he is?" Chloe asked, and Lex turned to her, smiling thinly. "Well, I'll go with Clark and Lex to wherever Kyle is, and how about you guys go look round the woods?"

*

Chloe walked through the Luthor Mansion, eyes wide at the ornate decorations and large rooms. Lex led through to the Eastern Wing, and into a large, almost empty bedroom.

A young woman, in a nurses outfit, sat, her eyes glazed over, in a large chair. Lex stared at her, and then at the empty bed.

"Where's Kyle?" he asked, furious.

The nurse blinked. "Who?"

Clark seemed confused, but he suddenly grinned, stepping closer to the billionaire. "I think I know where he went."

Clark grasped Chloe's hand and led her back out the mansion, helping her into the red truck before speeding out the mansion grounds.

*

Sam turned when he heard the sound of a car trundling through the dirt path. He nudged Dean and they jogged back towards the Impala, seeing the red truck belonging to Clark Kent driving slowly through the woods.

They followed him, down a small trail to the front of a metal trailer. Clark climbed out first, heading straight for the door. They stood back, watching, until Chloe climbed down from the passenger seat, glanced behind her and spotted them, immediately waving them over.

Sam walked over immediately, Dean slightly behind him. She grinned, linking her arm with Sam and leading him over to Clark, who was glancing at them unhappily.

Clark turned round as the trailer door banged. They stared as Kyle Tippett locked the door, and then spun round to face them, angry.

"I appreciate the help, Clark, but I'm done here." he said, glancing round the forest.

"We know that Rickman used to be your partner." Clark stated, but Kyle barely flinched.

"That was a million years ago."

Kyle tried to walk past them, but was blocked by the Winchesters. Chloe grinned, bounding in front of them to face Kyle.

"What happened to you guys in the meteor shower?" Chloe asked, eyes wide with curiosity. "Trust me, you're not the only ones that were affected by it."

Clark stepped up behind the ex-salesman. "What's going on with you and Rickman?" he asked, his voice dangerously low. "How did he get my dad to sell the farm?"

Kyle looked intently at the ground, clearly trying to avoid anyone's eyes as he began to speak. "You know, until that day, we were the worst salesmen to ever carry a catalogue… and all that changed when they pulled us out of that car." Chloe stepped closer, intrigued by the story. "With a single handshake, we could get people to do whatever we wanted them to do. Buy a tractor, stand on one leg…"

He drew off and Chloe's eyes widened, while Winchesters looked vaguely surprised, Dean's eyebrow raised at the strange story. Clark stood there, a look of understanding on his face – Chloe thought he had probably just realised why his father had sold the farm. "So," Dean asked, sounding strangely serious. "You're saying you have the power of persuasion?"

"How long does it last?" Chloe asked, an excited smile gracing her face.

"Until the person does what I tell them." Kyle answered, a strange glaze across his eyes. "Could be two minutes, two hours, and then they come out of it without a memory."

Sam smirked at the realisation that Kyle had been causing the missing memories, suddenly dying to question the hermit. He opened his mouth, but Clark started speaking first.

"What happens if they can't do what you want?"

"Then they keep trying, unless they're forcibly snapped out of it, like your friend Whitney."

Chloe grinned, stepping away from Sam and Dean and closer to Kyle, Clark stepping beside her protectively. "Well," she said, mischievously. "It sounds good in theory but…"

"Chloe!" Sam said, trying to interrupt her before she said something rude.

Chloe smirked, Clark and Sam on either side of her, with Dean slightly off to their side, glaring at Kyle suspiciously. "What?" she asked, amused. "The guy lives in a crappy trailer out in the woods. You'd think if he had this power, he'd use it to sell some of these…sculptures."

"It's dangerous." Kyle snapped.

Chloe smiled slyly. "I'm used to living on the edge."

Kyle shrugged, holding his hand out for Chloe. She took it, the three guys tensing with worry as Kyle grasped her hand tightly with both of his, a green glow emanating from the handshake. Both Sam and Clark stepped forward as Chloe's eyes changed from their usual dark green, to a bright, meteorite green and her face went blank.

"You have feelings for Clark, don't you, Chloe?" Kyle asked, his voice monotonous, yet soothing. Sam's eyes widened and clenched his fists, his knuckles white. Clark looked round, jaw dropped in disbelief and amusement. "You see him and you want him." Dean sniggered, watching as his brother shook slightly, his body rigid, and as Clark chuckled weakly. "All this time, you've been hiding it. Now, you can show him."

Chloe smirked, turning to face Clark; unable to see how his eyes were open in surprise. She leant forward, placing her hands on his stomach then running them up his chest to grab his collar. Sam stared in shock, Dean unable to stop laughing. Chloe raised her eyes, catching Clark's stare before viciously pulling on his jacket as she pushed herself onto the balls of her feet, pressing her lips against his, eyes fluttering close.

Clark's eyes opened even further and he stared at Sam and Dean with astonishment as Chloe continued to move her lips over his. Sam's mouth fell open, a strangled gasp falling from his lips as Chloe's arms moved from Clark's collar to wrap around his neck, attempting to pull the farm boy even closer.

Clark seemed to come to his senses, pushing away from Chloe, shocked.

She turned away, her eyes flashing the meteor green once more, before placing her hands on her hips and staring at Kyle, oblivious to the various looks she was receiving – entertained from Dean, upset from Sam, and an mixture of amazement and confusion from Clark.

"Okay." she said. "Come on. I'm ready."

Kyle just stared at her in amusement.

"Let's just say he proved his point." Clark said awkwardly, glancing down at Chloe's lips before looking away and wiping his mouth.

"What? Why are you all looking at me like that?" she asked, finally noticing the different expressions on the four men. She paused, swallowing, then looking away in confusion. "And why is my mouth minty?"

Dean burst out laughing again, and Chloe's head shot up, looking from Sam and Dean to Clark, still wiping his mouth.

"Oh…god." Chloe stared down at the ground, embarrassed, and trying to ignore Dean's continuous laughter. "Did I just…?"

"Don't worry." Clark said quietly, staring at Chloe. "It was…fine."

Chloe raised her hand to her mouth in shock, her face flushing red. Clark was a similar colour, staring at her, then at Sam, and then to Kyle. Kyle grinned innocently, picking up his bag.

"Well." he said, his voice full of compressed laughter. "Now the party trick's over… I got to hit the road."

He started to walk away, but Clark seemed to realise what was happening and stepped forward, panicked. "Wait." he called, relaxing as Kyle turned round. "You have all these gifts, but you hid in the woods. Why?"

Dean seemed to agree. "And I'm assuming you were responsible for the missing memories."

Kyle frowned but nodded. "Yes. But I was just telling them to leave the woods – not to even dare surveying in Smallville. We don't want another dead town."

Dean nodded in acknowledgment, allowing Clark to step in front of him. "Kyle? Why?" Clark asked.

"Because I was scared I wouldn't be able to control it." Kyle answered. "And that I would end up like Bob."

"What happened between you and Rickman?" Clark asked, concerned.

"He knows that I know his secret … I threatened to expose him if he ever built a plant here."

Chloe stared at him, still in a state of shock, but managed to step back to Sam's side and stare at the sculptor in surprise. "But he's been destroying communities like this for years. How come you let him get away with it for so long?"

"Because I wanted to be left alone!" Kyle shouted, getting frustrated. "As long as it wasn't here, it wasn't my problem."

Clark was glowering at Kyle, clearly furious. "My dad…" Clark shouted. "My dad lost our farm because you didn't tell anyone!"

Kyle was glaring back at Clark. "Do you know what it's like to have to hide because of who you are?"

"Yes!" Clark yelled at the smaller man, not noticing how Dean's gaze snapped to him and Chloe stared at him with barely-masked confusion. "But when you have a gift, you can't just hide in a hole and pretend it goes away."

Kyle stared down at the floor in shame. "I'll call you if I decide to tell." he said, turning and slouching away.

Clark relaxed, trusting the older man.

"What do you mean; you understand having to hide because of who you are?" Chloe asked and Clark started, glancing at her.

"I don't really." he said slowly, oblivious to how Dean rolled his eyes. "I was just trying to calm him down, get him to do the right thing."

Chloe nodded, disbelieving. "See you later?"

Clark nodded, climbing into the red truck and leaving the others standing outside the trailer. Chloe wrapped her hand round Sam's arm, surprised when he pulled away from her, starting to head back to the Impala.

She glanced at Dean in shock, who just smirked. He turned to follow his brother, unable to stop one final bark of laughter. Chloe stood still for a second, confused, before running after them.

*

Dean stepped into the living room, raising an eyebrow when he saw Chloe cuddled up against Sam as they both watched the TV.

"Sammy?" he called, smirking as Sam groaned, turning to him with annoyance. "Kent called. Tippett's going to tell, and he wants us there."

Sam reluctantly removed his arm from Chloe's arm, smiling at her as he stood up. "When?"

"Kent said to get to some gas station as soon as possible."

Chloe waved at them as Dean led his brother out of the house and into the car. They sped through Smallville, pulling up at a dingy building just off the road. They gazed through the front window as a car with the number plate 'LEX' parked next to a small telephone booth.

Kyle stepped out, smiling at the bald man, before him and Kent opened the car doors and sat in the back. Lex watched them, then walked over to the petrol, pulling out one of the pumps and pouring the gasoline over the car.

Dean and Sam exchanged worried glances as the billionaire lit his lighter and drop it onto the trail of petrol. Sam leapt out the Impala as Lex's car exploded.

"Rickman must have got to him." Dean whispered, now at Sam's side.

They peered round the service station as Lex examined the car, yelling angrily when he couldn't find either Clark or Tippett. A large truck arrived, lights off, and Bob Rickman stepped out, gun held in his hands. He appeared to be snarling at the Luthor Heir before handing him the gun and stepping aside, smirking viciously as Lex strode into the gas station.

Sam pulled Dean round the back of the station, picking the lock on a metal door, before sneaking into the gas station. They hid, guns held high, behind a tyre rack, shocked as a smirking Lex scanned the room.

He grinned suddenly, reaching down and pulling Kyle Tippett up, forcing him against the front of a truck. "Hey Clark," he yelled, sounding amused, the gun held lightly in his hands. "You know that guy you're trying to protect? I'm going to shoot him now!"

Dean's grip on the gun tightened as Clark stood up from behind another car, staring anxiously at Lex and Kyle.

"Lex!" he shouted, and Lex chuckled harshly.

"There you are!" He let go of Kyle, letting the older man slide to the floor, apparently unconscious, turning and raising the gun towards Clark.

Clark raised his hands, eyes wide. "Don't do this." he pleaded, scared. "I'm your friend."

"Oh, please." Lex drawled, waving the gun slightly. "You don't think I see the way your parents look at me? The way half of the town look at me?" He glanced at the floor for a second, before returning to stare at Clark with a hard gaze. "You're no different. Friendships' a fairy tale, Clark. Respect and fear are the best you can hope for."

"Rickman's doing this to you!" Clark shouted in desperation.

"What if he did?" His arm's stopped waving the gun and he steadied his hand, pointing the gun directly at Clark.

"This is getting out of hand." Sam whispered to his brother, who nodded slightly, fascinated by the exchange.

"You hate Rickman!" Clark shouted.

"You can learn a lot from someone you hate."

Lex suddenly began to fire at Clark, the gun spitting bullets out quickly. Sam and Dean watched as the freshman writhed, somehow managing to dodge the bullets. But they were too fast. The Winchester's watched as three hit Clark in the back, and they were unable to run to save him without going directly into the line of fire. Dean swore as Clark flailed slightly as one more struck him, before falling to the floor.

There was silence as Lex slowly approached Clark's body.

"So, I guess he's not immune to bullets then." Dean breathed.

"How are we going to explain this to Chloe?" Sam wondered, watching as Lex kicked Clark. "Never mind his parents."

They watched, breathing heavily, as Lex frowned, unsatisfied, and pointed the gun directly at Clark's chest.

Suddenly, Clark sat up, pulling the gun from Lex's grip and throwing him across the room, wincing as Lex crashed into a tyre display, lying unconscious.

"I take it back." Dean said, frowning at the freshman, while Sam just watched, incredulous.

The shot blasted through the silence, and they looked up in shock. They raced back out the back door, and round the building, frowning even more when they reached Kyle, and Clark was already there.

"What happened?" Sam asked, staring from the wide-eyed Kyle, to the fallen body of Bob Rickman.

"I always was the better salesman." Kyle answered, as Clark turned to them, an accusing glare on his face.

"You were _so_ much help." he said, eyebrows furrowed.

Dean grinned. "Christo."

Clark stared in confusion, not reacting to the words at all. "Pardon?"

"Nothing." Dean answered, annoyed. "Sam was on the phone with Chloe."

"What?" Sam asked, amazed, while Clark frowned in jealousy.

"You didn't help because you were talking to Chloe?" he asked, now glaring at Sam. "That's…"

"Dean was kidding." Sam forced out, turning away to help Kyle move the body.

"Yeah." Dean grinned innocently. "Really, we thought you could handle it."

Clark breathed in quickly, staring at Dean in fright. "What do you mean?"

"Oh…nothing."

Clark relaxed, turning to leave, but Kyle shot them a knowing look, then Tippett and the Winchesters watched as Clark walked away.

*

Sam pushed Chloe out the room, smiling as she struggled against him. "Look, Chloe, we told you, we're fine!"

She rolled her eyes. "You were at a shoot-out!" she protested, but her eyes were sparkling with laughter. "You could have died."

Sam smiled fondly down at her, before one final shove, ensuring she was outside their bedroom, and closing the door.

"God, Sammy." Dean said, looking up from their father's journal, a teasing smirk on his face. "Don't want her in the bedroom?"

Sam turned to his brother. "She's fifteen." he said, again.

"I've heard." Dean smirked.

"I don't want her knowing we're researching Clark." Sam admitted, pulling their father's journal away from Dean and scanning what Dean had written. The table showed everything they had seen Clark do, from walk through fire to survive being shot-out.

Sam frowned as he stared at the facts. "You're researching Clark." Dean corrected, laughing as his brother glanced up at him, not amused. "I just write the notes. You're the college boy."


	12. Leech

**I'd like to thank Carol Alves, cheekylilwhit and blaker 316 for reviewing.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Leech

Lana stood a few feet away from Chloe, watching anxiously as the blonde stumbled over various pebbles and climbed up the small rock face. "Lana!" Chloe whined, her eyes darting across the rocks as she walked across, hoping she didn't slip. "You persuaded me to come on the trip; can't you climb the freaking rocks?"

Lana laughed slightly, gazing up at her friend. "You're sounding like those Winchester's you hang out with."

Chloe grinned, the smile quickly fading as she stumbled slightly. "It's geology, Lana." she continued moaning, knowing Lana had stopped paying attention. "I know what the rocks look like. I don't want to find them."

"Didn't Dean say he wanted a geode?"

Chloe snorted. "Dean? Wanting a rock?" She laughed. "No…Sam wanted one, but if he wants one that much I'll just order him one from eBay."

Lana rolled her eyes, watching as Chloe bent down and picked up a rock. "Do you think that's okay?"

"It's brown and green." Chloe answered, stuffing it into her bag. "Pretty safe to say it's a meteor rock."

Lana smiled, glancing up as Clark Kent walked over, staring quickly up at Chloe before turning his gaze back to Lana. Chloe rolled her eyes, stepping gingerly off the solid rock and onto the wet dirt, surfing down slowly.

"Hey, Clark." Lana smiled, blushing.

"Hey, Lana." he replied, not even noticing Chloe had descended from the rock.

"When is this whole geological scavenger hunt thing over?" Chloe asked, annoyed.

"Not having much luck?" Pete had walked over, smirking at Chloe's irritation.

Lana nodded, eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah, someone's doing a little more ranting than digging."

Chloe stared at her in shock, not mentioning how Lana had dragged her onto the trip, how Lana had watched her climb the slippery rock and how Lana had watched as Chloe searched intently for any sign of rocks.

Well, maybe not that intently – but at least Chloe had been searching.

"I'm sorry." Chloe snapped. "But I find geology even more pointless than algebra. I mean, I could just order these rocks online and have them delivered vacuum-sealed."

Clark laughed, but quietened suddenly when a basketball player, named Brent, turned to verbally attack the smaller Eric Summers – mousy-haired, thick round glasses, and son of the teacher. Apparently, he had been talking to Holly Connors, girlfriend to the popular basketball player, Brent. Brent grabbed Eric by the collar, pulling his face close as he hissed at him, pushing him into a rock then walking away with his girlfriend.

Eric sighed, pushing his glasses back up his nose. Chloe smiled at him when he caught her eye, then watched as the geology teacher – Mr Summers- pulled the boy aside.

"Get with the program, Eric!" he yelled, and Chloe winced at the teachers harsh tone.

"Dad…" muttered Eric.

"It's Mr Summers at school." He corrected robotically. "You have ten minutes to complete this assignment. You better find every rock."

The teacher stalked off, and Eric hustled down, searching the ground for rocks. Chloe sighed, turning back to her group of friends.

"Ten minutes!" Lana squealed. "Chloe, we better hurry up!"

Chloe rolled her eyes, watching as Lana strode off, determined, before turning back to Pete.

"I'm so glad he's not my dad." Pete whispered, trying not catch the attention of either Eric or Mr Summers.

Chloe nodded in agreement, pushing Pete away as she turned to follow Lana.

*

Chloe frowned as thunder rumbled again, counting the seconds as she waited for the lightning flash.

"It's getting closer." she whispered to Pete, leaning over him to gaze out of the window at the gray sky. "Hope we get to see a lightning streak before we leave here."

Pete nodded as Mr Summers climbed back along the bus, turning to face the students.

"Has anyone seen Eric?" he called, frowning. "Apparently, he's got himself lost."

There was some murmurs, and then Clark stood up, hand raised. "I'll find him."

*

"I'm home!" Chloe called through the house, bounding through into the living room.

"You seem happy." Dean noted as she went to join Sam on the sofa. "Rock hunting fun?"

"No. I'm happy that it's over!" Dean laughed, Chloe bending down to rummage through her bag. She straightened up, handing a geode to Sam. "I was going to give you a meteor rock, but I didn't want to risk you getting infected and going psychotic."

Sam smiled, taking the rock from her and examining it. She then withdrew a meteor rock from the bag and Sam furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "And the meteor rock's for…?"

"Dean." she answered quickly, pressing it into his hands.

"What, so you're fine if I turn into a psychotic maniac with…I don't know…super-strength?" Dean asked, chucking the meteor from hand to hand.

"I figured you'd be safe as you would probably just turn into a giant car." Chloe answered, leaning into Sam.

Dean frowned as Sam chuckled, placing the geode on the side table and wrapping an arm round Chloe. "Anything else happen?"

"Clark got ill." she said, looking down as if upset. "He went to help Eric out and…"

"Who's Eric?" Dean interrupted. "Is it that jock guy?"

"No, that's Whitney." Chloe corrected him. "Eric's the teacher's son." Dean winced. "Anyway… when Clark came back, he was all pale and shaky."

"Clark Kent?" Dean asked, staring at her. "Ill?"

"Yeah." Chloe answered, looking at Dean as if he had just asked her a really strange question. "He hasn't got ill before but he doesn't exactly have skin like steel."

"You'd think that wouldn't you?" Dean muttered, but Chloe didn't hear him. Sam did, nodding slightly at what his brother had said.

"I mean, I'm sure a virus can find its way past Clark's immune system."

*

Chloe slid out the back of the Impala, glancing at her watch and cursing. Dean sniggered and she turned to glare.

"It's your fault." She hissed. "You turned my alarm clock off."

Dean laughed harder, not noticing when Chloe gasped.

"Clark?" she asked.

The young man turned, just before entering the school. "Chloe?"

"You're late?" she asked, oblivious to how Dean and Sam stared at the boy in shock. "Clark Kent? Late?"

He laughed, but he seemed nervous. "What, can't I sleep in once in a while? I'm just not as fast as usual today."

Chloe grinned. "I'm just shocked Clark, no need to get so defensive."

He relaxed. "Coming then?"

She grinned. "Of course."

She linked her arm round Clark's, waving at Sam and Dean as he led her into the school.

*

Chloe unlocked the door, dumping her bag by the door and striding through into the living room. Dean and Sam were hunched over their dad's leather journal, Sam writing something in it.

"Hey." She said, smiling and they glanced up. Sam smiled in greeting but Dean closed the book, putting it into the duffle bag at his feet. "What you doing?"

"Nothing." Dean answered quickly.

Chloe frowned at him. Sam slid away from his brother, allowing Chloe to sit in between them. "You smell so much better than Clark." She said suddenly, leaning towards Sam. He gazed at her questioningly. "He stank today after a short run...I've never seen anyone sweat so much."

Both the brothers looked like they really didn't want to hear that. "Is that strange?" Sam asked.

"For Clark, yes. Normally, he could play four games of Basketball in a row without even breaking a sweat." She grinned. "It was like he swapped places with Eric."

Now Dean looked interesting. "The guy Clark saved?"

"Yeah. Now, he's normally out of breath after 100 meter sprint, but today he seemed...well, like Clark." Dean furrowed his eyebrows, turning away. Chloe noticed, frowning. "What?"

Dean didn't answer.

*

"What are you writing?" Sam asked, leaning over Chloe's shoulder to look at her laptop. She turned, smiling. "Another interesting article for the Torch?"

She grinned. "It was for the Torch – but it's not exactly interesting."

"What is it?"

"The Talon's up for sale." She said, sounding bored. "Sad to say, it's the most interesting thing this week."

"The Talon?" Sam wondered. "I've seen the sign but I don't know what it is."

Dean strode in. "An old bar? Strip Club?"

Chloe stared at him and rolled her eyes, as Dean smirked lecherously. "Dean, maybe the Wild Coyote's more your sort of place?"

Dean looked at her. "Oh, really, where is it?"

"Don't encourage him..." Sam whispered into her ear and she shivered, shaking her head slightly.

She nodded. "The Talon's an old cinema. I suppose it was nice in the black-and-white era."

Dean watched them, rolling his eyes and leaving the room to look up this 'Wild Coyote' bar.

Sam sat next to Chloe, looking at the article. She glanced up at him, smiling. "If it gets bought and redone, will you take me?"

Sam swallowed, staring down at Chloe. "Who...who owns it now?"

Chloe blinked, looking away. "Oh...um...Lana's aunt."

"Her aunt?" Sam asked, sliding away from Chloe as she turned to look back at the screen. "What about Lana's parents?"

"They're dead." Chloe answered easily. "They were killed by a well-aimed meteor." Sam winced. She look at him and grinned, leaning close to Sam. "Did you know she wears a fragment of that meteor on her necklace?"

Sam wasn't sure how he was supposed to react to that.

*

They looked up at the large Talon sign, Chloe peering through the boarded windows.

"Do you think we could get in if we said we were friends of Lana's?" Chloe asked, glancing back at the three boys.

"Doubt it." Replied Pete, going over to join her. "And can't you hold your own laptop?"

Chloe rolled her eyes, but snatched it out of Pete's hand and tucking under her arm. "Fine..." She strode away from the Talon, walking down the street with Pete and the brothers to her left. "I bet we wouldn't have been banned from entering if Clark was here but apparently, Clark is still doing his chores and that's why he blew us off."

Pete frowned. "He's been acting weird lately."

Dean and Sam turned to Pete with interest, hoping to hear what was up with Clark Kent. "Well, okay, Clark Kent's always weird." Chloe said, grinning. "Why don't you give me a gauge?"

"He was so tired in maths yesterday, he face-planted on the desk."

Chloe laughed. "I have two words for you...power bar."

They continued walking, glancing in the shop windows that lined Main Street. As they peered in the florist's windows, Chloe felt a tugging on her arm. She turned, yelling as a man grabbed her bag. The three men turned to see what was happening, eyes widening as Chloe whacked the man over his head. He pulled away, bag still held in his hands as he ran down the street.

"Give me my laptop!" she yelled, starting to run after the thief, Sam already far ahead of her.

They stopped.

Eric Summers had appeared in front of the man, a fierce glare on his face. "Give it back." He snarled.

"Get out of the way kid!" the thief yelled back, pulling a knife out of his pocket.

Chloe gasped, as the thief thrust the knife towards Eric. He raised his hand to shield his face, and the knife shattered against his hand. Eric glanced at his hand in shock , before grabbing the bag and throwing the man across the street.

Chloe's eyes were wide when Dean and Pete caught up with her. "Did you see that?" she whispered.

"Yeah." Breathed Pete. "Unbelievable."

Chloe ran forward, standing next to Sam and gaping at Eric in astonishment.

"Thank you." Chloe said, sounding awed when Eric turned to her. "That was amazing!"

Eric smiled, still slightly shocked. "Anytime."

He walked away and Chloe watched, turning back to stare at the brothers, laptop clenched tightly in her hand. "Did you see _that_?"

Dean nodded, frowning as he glanced at the unconscious body of the thief.

*

"Oh my god!" cried Chloe, running in from the kitchen and grinning at the brothers. They glanced up, wondering what could have got her so excited. "The Smallville Ledger heard that he stole my laptop and they want _me _to write the article."

Sam grinned. "That's amazing."

"I mean, I'm going to have to check my original article all over again..." she grimaced, running out and quickly returning with her laptop. "I mean, its fine for the Torch...but this is in a newspaper!"

"It's not the Daily Planet, Chloe." Dean said, his eyebrows raised.

"I know," she said. "But it's a step up."

She scanned through the article, before passing the laptop over to Sam.

"Check it, will you?" she asked. "You went to Stanford."

Sam rolled his eyes, but settled back into the sofa, reading the article.

"So what?" Dean asked suddenly. "Eric developed powers over night and Clark became a weirdo?"

"Eric developed powers overnight." Chloe confirmed. "But what does Clark have to do with it?"

"It's surprising how oblivious you are." Dean muttered and she frowned. "Did Clark ever seem anything like Eric?"

"What are you suggesting?" Chloe asked, laughing. "Clark Kent, a super boy who had his powers stolen by Eric Summers?"

Dean raised an eyebrow at the suggestion. "Anything's possible in Smallville, Chloe."

"I think I'd have known if Clark had powers." She laughed, standing up. "Night, Sam."

He looked up from the article, not having heard the conversation. "Huh? Night."

She smiled, leaving the room. Dean laughed as Sam watched her walk away.

*

"Clark, you should have seen it." Pete rambled, while Clark glanced at him – not amused. "Eric threw the guy like thirty feet."

"Not only did he recover my laptop, but I got my first by-line in the Smallville Ledger." Chloe added, grinning.

"That's great, Chloe." Clark said, not sounding too pleased.

"Come on, Clark!" she said, shocked. "How can you be so blasé about this?"

"The guy stopped a purse snatcher." Clark said, exasperated. "It's not a big deal."

Chloe rolled her eyes, stopping when Eric walked up to them, smiling.

"Chloe," he greeted. "Thanks for getting that story in the paper."

Chloe blushed slightly, grinning. "Thanks for saving my computer." She exclaimed. "It's my life." Her eyes widened, and she stuttered as Pete laughed. "Okay, how pathetic did that just sound?"

There was an short silence, then Eric smirked. "So, who came up with 'Super Boy'?"

"I did."

"Really?" he sounded impressed and Chloe blushed even more. "I like it."

"Thanks."

He nodded at her, then strode away, seemingly a lot more confident than he was at the rock trip only days ago.

Clark watched him walk away, then turned to Chloe with a frown. "I thought it was kind of lame."

Chloe turned, angry. "Well, no one's asking you."

"Clark's just jealous." Pete said, slinging an arm round Chloe's shoulder and glaring at Clark.

"I just hope all this attention doesn't go to his head." Clark said quietly, glancing at his best friends in worry. "He needs to be careful."

Chloe turned to Clark, annoyed. "Well, you know what Clark?" she snapped. "The second you start throwing people thirty feet, I'll write nice things about you too."

She turned on her heel, and stalked away.

*

The Impala drew up in front of Smallville High, and Chloe climbed out. "So, you've replaced the school bus." She stated.

"If you didn't miss it all the time, we wouldn't have to." Sam smiled.

"How do you know I don't sleep in on purpose?" she grinned. "The car's much comfier than the bus."

Dean snorted. "Of course."

She looked round, seeing the vast amount of people sitting outside school, enjoying the morning sun. "Are we early?"

Dean nodded. "Sam didn't want you to be late. So he set both of our alarms early."

Chloe turned to grin at Sam. "If you wanted me on time, you didn't have to wake Dean – I'd have got the bus."

Dean grimaced, turning to his brother. "Yeah."

Sam laughed, climbing out the car and looking around, Dean leaned out the window. "You know, your school's a lot...brighter than ours was."

Chloe rolled her eyes, smiling as Clark and Pete spotted them and walked over. "Hey, Chloe." Pete greeted, leaning against the Impala. Chloe laughed at Dean's anger.

Dean was about to snarl at Pete when a loud sound blasted through the courtyard and everyone looked up. Eric was striding past the cars, a boom box in one hand and a leather trench coat around his shoulders.

They watched as he stopped at Brent and Holly's table and slammed the boom box down. They stepped away from the car, Dean climbing out.

"This doesn't look good." He whispered to his brother, watching as Clark stepped forward nervously.

The entire courtyard had fallen silent so when Eric talked, they could hear every word. "Hey, Holly." He said, smirking. "Want to go out sometime?"

Brent stood up, staring in shock. "What do you think you're doing, Summers?" he yelled.

"I'm asking Holly out."

"What, are you suicidal?" snarled Brent. "You're not going out with my girlfriend, alright?"

Eric turned, a leer spreading across his face. "Watch me."

"Hey!" Brent stood up, shoving Eric away from the table. "You make the cover of the paper with some bogus stunt and suddenly you're somebody?" Holly whimpered when Eric's face hardened and he growled at Brent. "Face it Summers. You're still nothing."

Eric snarled, punching the mirror off the nearest car. Students started and ran to surround Brent and Eric. Chloe, Clark and the Winchesters pushed forward to the front of the crowd, watching as Brent's eyes widened in shock. He ran round the truck and hid underneath.

Eric cackled. "What's the problem, Brent?" he snarled, stalking round the side of the trunk and lifting it up with one hand. "Hiding from nothing?"

Brent panicked, running out from under the car. Eric grimaced, flipping the car away, not even watching as it flew through the air and crashed against the tarmac, dangerously close to the Impala. Dean winced.

Eric vanished, reappearing in front of Brent, who stopped running, quickly turning round and sprinting in the other direction – but Eric blocked him again. Eric suddenly grabbed the jock's collar and hoisted him into the air. Brent only had a second to whimper before Eric had thrown him across the courtyard, laughing as he landed on a picnic table.

Clark ran forward, ignoring Chloe telling him not to be stupid, and stood in front of Eric. Eric looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Eric!" he yelled. "You can't do this."

"Watch me!" he snarled.

"No, I'm serious. You could kill someone!" Clark said, laying a hand on Eric's shoulder. Chloe tensed, wrapping her hand round Sam's. "You don't want that on your conscious, believe me. You've just got to calm down."

Eric snarled. "You're not my father, Clark! Now shut up and get out of my way!"

He grabbed Clark's arms and pushed him away, sending him flying over the crowd and crashing on the roof of a car, falling unconscious.

Eric turned back to Holly, who was staring at him with fright. "Get away from us, you freak!" she sobbed.

Eric sped away.

Chloe released Sam's hand, running over to Clark's side and sobbing at the sight of his blood. "Clark?" she whispered. "Are you okay?"

He didn't answer.

Sam was soon at her side, examining Clark. Dean joined them, wincing at the sight of Clark's injuries.

"We better get him to the hospital." Sam said, Dean helping him gently lift Clark down from the car.

They carried him into the Impala. Chloe watched them get into the car, tears still streaming down her face. Just as Dean was about to pull out of the school car park, Sam rolled the window down. "Want to come?" he asked.

Chloe nodded. "There's no seats." She whispered and Sam cursed.

Pete was soon at her side, his arm round her shoulders. "I'll take you." He said. "I brought my truck today."

Chloe nodded. "Okay."

"I'll follow you." Pete told the brothers, watching as they drove off with Clark, before helping Chloe into his blue truck.

*

Chloe was fidgeting in the stiff chairs in the waiting room of Smallville Medical Centre. She was wringing her hands together, glancing down the corridor towards Clark Kent's room.

Dean and Sam sat away from her, heads close together as they discussed what had just happened.

"From everything we've seen, Eric shouldn't have been able to throw Clark across the school ,let alone make him bleed." Sam whispered. "Chloe said Clark went to find Eric after the rock trip, right?"

Dean nodded. "Do you think something happened?"

"When we talked to Chloe earlier, she suggested Eric had stolen Clark's powers." Sam murmured. "She was joking, but what if she was right?"

Dean raised an eyebrow as he considered it. "He seems to have Kent's super-strength, as well as super-speed."

"While Clark seems to be getting tired, injured and was late for school."

"So do you think his meteor power or whatever it is has moved on to Eric Summers?"

"I don't know." Sam grimaced. "But it makes you think – Clark never hurt anyone, but Eric's already throwing people around Smallville."

Dean shrugged.

Chloe gasped as Clark lumbered down the hallway, grinning weakly at her. "I'm fine." He said, before she even had a chance to ask the question. He turned to the brothers. "Thanks for driving me here."

Chloe stood up, gripping Clark's arm with worry. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"My ribs hurt a bit." He admitted, blushing. "But I'll be fine in a few weeks."

"A few weeks?" Chloe muttered, quieting as Lex Luthor strode into the waiting room.

She stepped away from her best friend, walking over to Dean and Sam before pausing to watch in interest.

"Did you come by to make sure I was hurt?" Clark asked, looking pained.

Lex frowned. "I wanted to make sure you were all right."

"Yeah, never better." Clark grumbled. Chloe frowned at the strange conversation Clark was having, not noticing how the Winchesters were watching Lex intently. "Maybe we could go out in the parking lot and you can hit me with your car."

"Clark." Lex seemed upset, but was glaring at his friend determinedly. "What I said about you the other day...I'm sorry." Clark smiled encouragingly. "Nothing appears to be what it seems lately."

Clark couldn't help nodding his agreement. "So you're going to stop snooping around my back now?"

"Listen, I had no right to question your honesty. All I can do is plead temporary insanity and hope we can find a way to put this behind us."

Chloe watched as Clark smiled immediately, easily forgiving his older friend. "Only temporary?"

"You need some help?" he asked, but Clark shook his head. Lex nodded, stalking back out the hospital.

Clark walked over to the Chloe, smiling down at her. She grinned back.

"What was that about?" she asked.

"Lex thinks that before I saved him in the car accident, he hit me at 60 miles an hour." He answered. Chloe laughed.

"Really?" she grinned. "Does he think you're invincible?"

Dean cocked an eyebrow when Clark relaxed, not tensing like he normally did when people mentioned special powers around him.

"Well, we could give you a lift home." Chloe suggested, Sam nodding along with her.

"Thanks." Clark said, gesturing down the hallway. "But my mom's here."

Chloe waved at Mrs Kent, before linking her arm with Sam's and leading him down the hallway, "See you tomorrow!" she yelled back down the hallway, flinching when an old woman shushed her.

Dean sniggered.

He tapped Sam on the shoulder, watching as Sam dropped Chloe's arm and hung behind her. "What?"

"He definitely seems different." Dean concluded. "But how does a meteor freak lose his powers overnight?"

*

"Guess what?"

Like normal, Chloe's voice was echoing through the house as soon as the door had slammed shut. She rushed through to the living room, sitting next to Sam, the Torch and the Ledger under her arm.

She spread the Smallville Ledger across the coffee table, before pointing at a large article on Page 2. "Superboy not so super." she read aloud, grinning as they turned to her in shock. "Eric was found unconscious and freezing at the Smallville Power Plant. He doesn't seem so super-powered anymore, but his actions over the last few days have led to a cell in Belle Reeve."

Dean winced, joining Chloe and his brother on the sofa in order to see the paper. "And who found him?"

"Clark." Chloe admitted proudly. "Called the ambulance and everything – his ribs seemed better too."

Dean exchanged an annoyed glance with Sam, before reaching for the paper and flicking through it, pausing at a large picture of Victoria Hardwick.

"What's she doing in here?" he asked, a lecherous grin on his face. "Finally dump Lex Luthor?"

"I think Lex Luthor dumped her." Chloe answered, amused at the look on Dean's face. "Set up an entire scheme to make her company buy a worthless lab so that LuthorCorp could buy them out."

Dean looked confused, clearly not understanding the intricacies of business, while Sam looked interested, snatching the paper from his brother.

"Cadmus labs?" he read. "I've never heard of them."

"And that's why they're worthless." Chloe smiled.

"Think she's single then?" Dean asked suddenly and Chloe grinned.

"Do you care?" Chloe sniggered suddenly. "You're probably not her type."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "I'm everyone's type."

"Not hers." Sam continued, exchanging a glance with Chloe. "She seems to like the rich, famous and handsome."

Dean rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry, who else is she going to go out with?"

Chloe flipped the newspaper back to the front page, and pointed with a flourish at the headline. "I hear Oliver Queen's free." she grinned. "I suppose he missed girls after his long island adventure."

Dean rolled his eyes, staring at the picture of the blonde on the front page.

"I mean, he's rich, definitely famous and amazingly hot." she continued, Sam turning to her in shock. "Not to say you aren't, Dean."

Dean grinned, but Sam grimaced. "Hey, Chloe, can I talk to my brother?" he snarled.

Chloe nodded. "Yeah, I need to prepare the Torch anyway."

She stood up, leaving the room quickly. Sam turned to Dean, glaring and Dean raised his hands innocently. Sam rolled his eyes, turning the newspaper back to page 2.

"I guess we'll never find out what happened." Sam groaned, scanning the picture of Eric Summers. "I mean, we could talk to Clark, see if he knows anything."

"Chloe said his ribs were better, so I'm guessing he has his powers back." Dean said, frowning. "I have to admit though, I'm glad Clark doesn't act like Eric."

Sam nodded. "We'll have to keep an eye out, see if he starts acting strange."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thanks for reading. **


	13. Kinetic

**I'd like to thank Blaker316, raven and Carol Alves for reviewing.**

* * *

Kinetic

Chloe fiddled slightly with the video camera, trying to get Lex's face out of the darkness. With her at school and Lex working, they had only both been available at night.

This was really annoying, as Clark wasn't helping, just chatting with his best friend while Chloe perfected the angle of the camera. Lex smiled when she was finished, shooing Clark out of the frame.

Clark stood behind the video camera, ready for Chloe's interview. Chloe nodded at him as she began to speak.

"So, Lex?" she started, pausing when Clark grimaced. "What?"

Chloe rolled her eyes in exasperation as Lex laughed. "Are you ready now, Clark?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I forgot to press the record button." He admitted, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry."

She smiled, flicking her hair away from her face as she settled into the large leather seat. "So, Mr Luthor, are there any more secret construction projects going on at LuthorCorp, like Level 3?"

"Please," Lex smirked directly at the camera. "Call me Lex."

"Okay, Lex." Chloe sniped. "Are you going to answer my question?"

"Chloe..." warned Clark, watching through the small video screen.

"What?" Chloe said, hands raised innocently, ignoring Lex's chuckle.

"It's alright, Clark. Our critics are our friends." He said, grinning professionally at the camera. "They show us our faults."

Chloe smirked in recognition. "Benjamin Franklin."

Lex nodded as a servant strode into the room, dressed pristinely in a suit and sniffing at the sight of the two freshmen.

"Excuse me Mr Luthor?" he said. "Your father's on the phone."

Lex winced, pushing himself up from the sofa. "I need to get this." He looked at them apologetically. "I'll take it in the conservatory." He grinned at Chloe. "I look forward to resuming our verbal judo."

As he walked out the room, Chloe smirked at Clark. "I wonder if he's really taking a call or if he's just trying to avoid me." She stood up, walking over to examine the variety of antiquities lining the mahogany bookshelves. One vase, Greek terracotta with the traditional flat black pictures detailing myths, stood in the centre of the shelf. Chloe ran a finger across it, eyes wide. "Wow. That's really cool." She turned to face Clark, stepping away from the shelf to look at something else. "Do you think it's real?"

Clark shrugged, stepping to look at the vase. When he was distracted, Chloe slid out the study and started down the large hallways.

She hid behind the walls when she heard Clark calling down the hallways. "Chloe, you can't go snooping around someone's house."

She appeared from around the corner, frowning when Clark didn't seem surprised. "Clark, it's a mansion." He didn't seem to understand. "It's designed for snooping." Clark frowned, slightly angry. Chloe rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. We'll go wait in the library for Lex to officially blow us off."

Clark smirked as he placed a hand on her back in order to lead her through into the room. "Look, I'll put the camera away."

Chloe nodded, walking over to the main door. "I'm going to get my bag."

She glanced back as Clark nodded, before freezing. She followed his gaze to the floor, spotting 3 large duffle bags. "What's going on?" she asked, Clark shrugging.

Soon, three men materialised through the wall and Clark tensed, turning to Chloe. "Chloe," he shouted. "Run!"

She hesitated for a second, but was soon tearing down the long hallway. She glanced behind her, crying out as she saw one of the masked men following her. She tripped, a whimper escaping from her as he grabbed her from behind, holding her tightly around the neck. She raised her hand, struggling to pull his arm away. He growled, pulling tighter. She managed to pull the man's sleeve up, eyes wide when she saw a meteor green tattoo blazing on his arm.

He snarled, raising her up from the ground and dragging her towards the window. Growling, she thrust her elbow back, grinning when he dropped her and grabbed his face in surprise. She aimed a kick towards his shins but he grabbed her leg, cackling as she fell to the floor. She cried out in pain as he pulled her down the hallway, throwing her out the window.

She grabbed on with her hands, her knuckles tight. "Clark!" she yelled, sobbing as her legs dangled in the air. "Clark, help me!"

She was just able to see him round the corner, his face covered with sweat, before her fingers slipped from the window ledge and she fell.

*

Dean hung up, frowning when he met Sam's confused glance. "Just an old friend." he explained, pressing his phone back into his pocket. "Some strange stuff's happening and she thinks it might be our sort of thing."

"What?" Sam raised an eyebrow. "We were requested?"

"Yeah, believe me." Dean was already lugging his duffle bag out their bedroom. "She never would have called, _never_, if she didn't need us." Sam was just watching his brother, perplexed. "You coming?"

Sam nodded, picking up his own bag and walking down the stairs. Gabe stood at the bottom, looking slightly glad to see that they were going on a hunt.

"Not taking Chloe are you?" he asked and Sam shook his head. "Good. Where are you going?" Dean opened his mouth to answer but the house phone rang. Gabe groaned, picking it up. "Don't leave just yet." he ordered, listening intently to the phone. "She's what?"

Sam frowned with worry, guessing that the 'she' was Chloe. Gabe was pacing, while Dean watched them impatiently.

"Look, we'll just be going…" Dean started, interrupted when Gabe ended his phone call and turned to them, clearly anxious about something.

"Chloe's in hospital." he murmured, slinging his coat on and grabbing his car keys. "I'll see you when you get back."

"She's what?" Sam asked, eyes wide. "I'll come with you."

Dean's jaw dropped. "Sam. We need to go."

"It might not be serious." Sam replied, dropping the duffle bag. "If she's fine, we'll come back and leave tonight."

Dean seemed torn, before grimacing and letting his bag fall to the floor. "Fine, but only because it's Chloe."

*

When they arrived at the hospital, the doctor was waiting for them, the metal clipboard in his hand, Clark hovering by his shoulder.

"Gabe..." he greeted, glancing down to read from the sheet. "Chloe was in an accident."

"A car accident?" Gabe gasped, looking past the doctor in an attempt to see his daughter. "Is she alright?"

"It wasn't a car accident." Clark murmured, fidgeting when everyone turned to stare at him. "She fell out a window."

Sam stared at the freshman in shock, and Dean sighed, resigned to the fact that they would probably be staying in Smallville. "What's happened to her?"

"Miraculously, she's only broken her arm." The doctor informed them, not looking at their faces. "She appears to have a concussion but it's amazing she didn't break more bones, like her back or her neck."

Gabe was pale. "Can we see her?"

"Of course." The doctor moved to the side. "Your daughter was lucky, Gabe."

Clark grabbed the doctor's arm. "And me? Can I go in?"

"Family members only."

Clark growled. "I'm just as close to Chloe as those guys."

Sam and Dean turned as they walked, frowning when Clark told the doctors that they weren't related to Chloe. The doctor didn't stop them, instead rolling his eyes and letting Clark past.

They crowded round her bed, staring sombrely at the sleeping body of Chloe. Her arm was bandaged, and the area around her eye was swollen and purple, a thin cut decorating the bruise.

The room was silent and Gabe seemed unable to speak, uncertain as to how his daughter had managed to fall out a window. Sam slumped into the bedside chair, while Clark stood over Chloe.

Dean texted something into his phone, the beep disturbing the silence, then walked behind Sam, frowning.

"Don't worry." They turned at the new voice, seeing Lex Luthor in the doorway, staring at Chloe anxiously. Gabe went to ask him why he was there, but Lex was already speaking. "I brought in the best doctors from Metropolis.

"Is she going to be alright?" Clark croaked.

"The doctors said she was going to be fine." Gabe said, anxious again. "Will Lex know any different?"

Lex looked to the ground. "The doctors aren't sure." He admitted, not commenting at how the room seemed to have tensed as everyone looked at him. "The fall was pretty bad. They need to check she doesn't have any brain swelling."

There was a short silence before Clark swallowed. "I should have got to her."

Lex rolled his eyes. "I don't mean to belabour the obvious Clark, but this isn't your fault."

"I just don't know what happened." Clark murmured, staring down at Chloe once more. "One minute the room is empty and then they appear out of midair." He seemed caught up in his memories as he remembered what happened, not noticing how the Winchesters gazes shot up to him. "Do the police have any leads?"

"Someone did this to Chloe?" Gabe snarled. "It wasn't an accident?"

They didn't answer, Lex frowning at his friend. "They don't think I'm the first one that's been hit." He said slowly. "There have been over a dozen of these robberies all over the country. This gang somehow gets in or out without busting a single alarm." He grimaced. "They even tried to hit Smallville Savings and Loan."

Gabe snorted, before straightening up and glancing away from his boss. Clark stared at him for a second before saying what Gabe had been thinking. "I didn't hear about that."

"Banks don't publicise attempted robberies." Lex said, seemingly exasperated. "It's bad for their image."

"If nothing was taken, how do they know they were robbed?"

"They tripped an alarm inside the vault." Lex told them, frowning at Chloe's still body. "Although no one knows how they got in there in the first place."

"And the stuff they stole from you, can the police trace it?"

Lex smirked, moving away from Chloe and back towards the door. "I didn't report anything stolen, Clark."

"Why not?" Clark sounded shocked. "I saw them walk out with two bags."

"I don't care about that." Lex said, his voice low. "I just want to find the people who did this to Chloe and when I do, I promise that they will be dealt with accordingly."

Sam glanced up at the billionaire. "What does that mean?" he asked, staring back at Chloe.

Lex smiled maliciously. "It means you should let me worry about it." He turned to Clark. "Why don't you go home and get some rest?" Clark nodded, leaving the room as Lex turned to Gabe. "If you want, you can have a few days off."

Gabe shook his head. "Lex, I'm plant manager. I can't just take a day off."

Lex smiled at him, leaving the room. Dean and Sam were left, staring at Gabe in confusion. "You're not staying?" asked Dean.

"I'm going to stay tonight." Gabe said, reaching out and holding Chloe's hand gently. "But the house won't pay for itself."

Dean nodded, checking his phone one final time. "I might go looking into the appearing thieves." He said. "I don't like hospitals much. Sam?"

Sam looked torn, but a nurse strode in the room. "Mr Sullivan." She said. "I'm afraid I can't let anyone other than family stay overnight."

Sam grimaced. "I'll leave in a half hour." He said slowly, and Dean rolled his eyes. "I'll meet you back at the house."

Dean nodded slightly. "See you."

Sam nodded his goodbye, turning back to watch Chloe. Dean rolled his eyes, stepping out the hospital room.

*

Dean pulled up at the Kent Farm, getting out the car and knocking on the door. Jonathan Kent opened it, frowning down at Dean.

"Hello." He greeted, sounding confused. "Chloe's in hospital if you're looking for her."

Dean grimaced. "I know. I was actually looking for Clark." Dean frowned when he saw panic flash through Jonathan's eyes. "I want to talk to him about the accident."

Jonathan relaxed. "Come in."

Dean smirked, stepping into the warm farmhouse and watching as Jonathan went upstairs to fetch his son. Clark came down, confused when he saw Dean sitting at the island in the kitchen.

He sat next to Dean, looking around awkwardly as his parents left the room. "What are you doing here?"

"I know you're going to look into the thieves." Dean said. "Knowing you, you'll probably find out."

Clark tensed. "What do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter." Dean said with difficulty, noting how Clark didn't relax. "I just want you to come to see me and Sam if you find anything."

"Why?"

"Have you not seen Sam?" Dean snorted. "He cares about Chloe just as much as you do and she's a good friend."

Clark grimaced when Dean said that, and Dean sniggered slightly. "Alright."

Dean nodded, swiping a muffin from the table as he left the farmhouse.

*

Sam sat watching the TV, not looking round when Dean entered the room. "Find anything?" he asked. "You've been gone all night."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Looking round the Luthor mansion but nothing." He sat next to his brother. "Couldn't even find the vault."

"How long did you spend looking?"

"How long was I there?"

Sam grimaced. "So you have no leads on who did this to Chloe?"

"Apart from they walk through walls...no." Dean sighed, exasperated. "Only in Smallville."

Sam smiled weakly, not even jumping when his phone rang, instead immediately picking up. "Gabe?" He nodded slightly, before hanging up. "Chloe's awake and Gabe wants us to be there, seeing as he can't."

Dean nodded, returning to the Impala and driving through back to Smallville Medical Centre. They entered the hospital, but Dean paused, rubbing his eyes. "I'll meet you there." He told his brother. "I need a coffee."

Sam rolled his eyes, relaxed now that Chloe was getting better, walking through the hall to Chloe's room. He pushed the door open, grinning when she turned towards the doorway and smiled at him. "Okay, you are officially my first visitor."

"Dean's on his way." Sam said. "Just needed some coffee."

She grimaced. "I need some coffee but I'm not allowed."

She pouted slightly, gesturing towards the chair at her bedside. Sam smiled wider, sitting next to her and looking round the room. His eyes widened at the mass amount of flowers surrounding her room. "Er, I'm sorry." He stuttered. "I didn't get you any flowers."

She laughed. "I don't have a rule that only those with flowers can visit me." She paused. "In fact, I think people think if you send flowers, you don't actually have to visit. I'd prefer visitors to roses."

Sam smiled fondly at her. "That's good."

"Visitors are a lot more fun to talk to." She said, scanning the room. "I debated talking with the flowers, but I thought that the doctors have just determined that I'm mentally fine and if they saw me chatting to flora they might reconsider." Sam chuckled, watching anxiously as she reached over for a felt tip pen with her right hand and passed him to him, holding out her cast. "Want to sign?"

Sam grinned, finishing his name when Dean walked in, a polystyrene cup of coffee in one hand and a small bunch of flowers in the other. He paused slightly when he saw the mass of flowers round the rest of the room, then approached Chloe.

He passed her them. "Aren't you supposed to give sick people flowers?" he asked, pulling a chair up next to his brother. "I knew Sam had forgotten something."

She giggled, shooting an exasperated look at Sam. "They're...well, I can tell they're from the hospital shop but...they're beautiful."

Sam grimaced, taking them from her and putting them in an empty vase on her bedside table. Dean scanned Chloe, frowning at her injuries and then pausing at her cast, reaching for the nearest pen and signing his own name next to his brothers.

Chloe grinned at them, snuggling back into her pillows, then yawning purposefully.

"You bored?" Dean asked, amused at her acting. "Want Sam to tell you a story?"

"Really?" She grinned in excitement. "A story of a hunt?"

Clearly, that wasn't what Dean meant, but Sam seemed to give in when she shot him a huge grin. "If you want, I'll tell you about..." he paused. "...um, a case of demonic possession we solved a few months ago."

Her eyes widened. "Wait, so you're going to tell me about demonic possession?" She leant forward. "I know it happens but I don't know what happens to people who are possessed."

Dean grimaced. "It's not pretty."

She rolled her eyes. Sam smiled down at her. "Right, well, Dean and I were called by this guy Dean had helped before, and he wanted our help."

She interrupted. "What had you helped him with before?"

"Poltergeist." Dean answered. "But really Chloe, this is a once in a lifetime story. I'd stop interrupting."

She frowned but nodded at Sam, telling him to keep talking. "Well, he worked at an airport and one of the planes had gone down. He had the cockpit recording, and it was really static apart from this hiss." He narrated. "The plane had crashed because somehow the cabin had depressurized. Out of the hundred people on board, seven survived." Chloe winced, looking angry. "So, we had to see inside the plane."

"Of course." She nodded along. "That's what I'd do."

Sam grinned. "Yeah, so we pretended to be homeland security." He continued while Chloe grinned, impressed."And, we know it's illegal." She laughed. "So we got suits and..."

"Suits?" she raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure you looked handsome."

Dean sniggered as Sam gaped, unable to speak. Just as Sam appeared to recover and he reached for her hand, ready to continue the story, Chloe's attention was diverted.

"Hey." She murmured, Sam's head shooting up and following her gaze.

Clark stood in the doorway, a small bouquet in his hand. He looked at the two brothers by her side and smiled, stepping to her other side and sitting on the edge of the bed. "Your dad called and told me you were awake. How are you feeling?"

Chloe smiled up at him. "Like a million bucks..." she said, grinning even wider. "Thrown in the washing machine and set on spin."

Clark chuckled, reaching for Chloe's hand and pausing when he saw that Sam already had it clasped in his. "Everyone was really worried about you."

She grinned. "Yeah, I noticed. Looks like Nell's flower shop has been stripped clean." She pointed at a U-Shaped bouquet of tulips to her right and chuckled. "I especially like the one's from Lex." She explained. "They make me feel like I won the Kentucky Derby." Clark laughed, handing her the small bouquet he had bought. She smiled down at the flowers and then up at Clark. "They're beautiful, Clark." She removed Dean's flowers from the nearest vase and placed Clark's flowers in them instead. "They're my favourite."

Clark smiled warmly at her and slid off the bed to put Dean's flowers in the only other empty vase in the furthest corner of the room. The Winchesters frowned as he returned to his perch on the bed, Chloe turning back from the flowers to stare at her best friend.

"I..." Clark seemed unable to swallow as he stared down at Chloe. "I just want to say I'm sorry."

She frowned, confused. "For what?"

Clark looked at the Winchesters, then blushed. "For letting you get hurt."

Chloe's face fell and she stared at him with seriousness. "Well, I am perturbed at you, Clark." She said, sounding annoyed, oblivious to how the brothers watched them. "I'm also mad that you didn't put out the Chicago Fire of 1871, or prevent the fall of the Roman Empire, making you directly responsible for the dark ages."

Clark laughed. "Thanks." He murmured. "Do you remember anything about those guys?"

Chloe frowned. "There was one thing." She said slowly, looking out the window as she tried to remember. "The guy who grabbed me, he had a tattoo on his arm, an octagon maybe." She glanced back to Clark. "What's going on?"

"I don't know." Clark sounded severely frustrated. "Let me do some digging."

She grinned. "Clark Kent, investigative reporter. Has a nice ring to it."

Clark smirked, leaning down to press a soft kiss to Chloe's forehead and Sam frowned as her eyes fluttered shut. Clark pulled away. "You get some rest."

"I'll try." She whispered. "Thank You."

She smiled after him as he left the room. Chloe grimaced, before turning to the brothers. "I suppose he's right." she said, groaning. "Falling out a window takes so much effort."

They nodded, sitting in silence until Chloe had fallen asleep.

*

"Were you here all night?"

Sam raised his head at the question, before shaking his head. "We snuck into the Luthor mansion again, hoped that two heads would be better than one during the hunt for Lex's treasury."

She raised an eyebrow. "But it wasn't?"

"No. Although we did work out that almost anyone could enter Lex's mansion." Sam chuckled weakly. "The man has so much money and he can't even afford a decent security team."

She giggled. "It's an impressive house though." she said, awed. "Shipped all the way from Scotland."

Dean strode in, another cup of coffee in his hand, then they sat in silence for a few seconds until Chloe cleared her throat. "So...impersonating homeland security?"

Sam rolled his eyes, but sighed. "Right...so while Dean was making some fake Ids, I found that the strange hiss was saying No Survivors. We thought that sounded strange so we visited one of the survivors at a Psychiatric hospital."

"And let me guess..." she laughed. "He saw something."

"Of course."

"But do things haunt flights?" Chloe asked. "Like was flight 401 a true ghost story?"

They looked at her, impressed. "Yeah." Sam answered. "An airline salvaged it's parts, put it into other planes and the spirits haunted it. There's a long history of spirits and death omens on planes and ships, as well as the beliefs that demons are responsible for major disasters, like earthquakes. Anyway, the guy at the psychiatric hospital said he saw a man with black eyes open the emergency exit."

"We worked out that the guy was a dentist so we went to visit his house. His wife said the only strange thing about him was the fact that he had an ulcer." Dean continued, grinning when Chloe snorted. "So we put on our suits and we looked round the wreckage of the plane and there was sulphur all over the handle on the emergency exit."

"Sulphur?" Chloe asked. "Why sulphur?"

"Sulphur is a sign of demonic activity." Dean explained. "If you find sulphur, someone was probably possessed."

"So it's a demon causing plane crashes?" she asked. "Not exactly a natural disaster."

Sam grinned. "Moved with the times. The pilot, a survivor, then died in another plane crash. We got to it first and..."

"Sulphur?" Chloe predicted.

"Yeah...and both went down 40 minutes into the flight." Sam said, "We worked out that the demon was going after the survivors of the first flight. The only one who dared to fly again was an air hostess. We went to the airport and Dean tried to stop her, but all he did was convince her to get back with her boyfriend."

Chloe chuckled, pausing as her phone rang. She answered it. "Pete?" She laughed. "No Pete, I had noticed that you hadn't visited...well, I suppose if Clark was dragging you around, then it's alright..." she paused, listening intently to Pete. "You're coming... can you bring my laptop?...Thanks Pete...see you soon."

Pete was there in a few minutes, her laptop tucked under his arm. He passed it to her, before reaching for the hospital phone.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Tapping into the phone line in order to get you online." He answered and Chloe smiled at him. "To apologise for not visiting."

She smiled up at him, pausing as Clark strode into the room. "Pete?" he asked, sounding confused. "What are you doing here? I thought we were meeting at the Torch."

"Yeah, well, I called Chloe and realised I hadn't visited her." He answered. "I figured Chloe would be useful in our hunt for the evil trio."

Dean turned to Pete in confusion. "Have you found anything?"

Chloe was already furiously typing into her laptop. Clark sighed. "You should be resting."

"You know what?" Chloe snapped at her friend. "If I rested as much as you suggested, I'd have gone insane a long time ago. These health-care professionals only want me to sit in bed and eat Jell-O."

Clark laughed quietly before grinning at her. "Those fascists."

Chloe frowned. "Clark, I need to do this." She ordered. "Don't cut me out of this, please?"

Clark nodded. "Alright."

She grinned, looking up at Clark. "So, I've been surfing the net, doing some research." She announced.

Clark looked confused. "How did you get online here?" She just grinned mischievously and he rolled his eyes. "What have you got?"

The four men looked at Chloe intently as she grimaced. "What if these guys are using meteorite tattoos to speed up their metabolism?" she suggested, watching their serious confessions change into an incredulous look. "I mean, literally, their molecules are moving at hyper speed."

"That's how they're able to go through solid objects?" Clark asked.

"That's crazy." Pete argued.

"Well, they're doing it." Chloe said.

"It's like the ultimate rush." Clark whispered.

"But there's no way they're body can handle that kind of stress for long."

"What are you saying will happen?"

Chloe frowned, shrugging. "I don't know but, you take the ultimate rush, you pay the ultimate price."

*

Sam straightened up when Chloe stirred, watching as her eyes flickered open. "For someone who said they didn't need rest, you are sure sleeping a lot."

Chloe grinned sleepily. "Well, falling out a window takes a lot out of you."

Sam grimaced at the mention of her accident. "Well, at least you have a reason to be sleeping."

He gestured to her other side and she turned, sniggering when she saw Dean slumped in a chair. She raised her arm, poking him suddenly in the side and laughing when he jolted awake.

"I'm amazed your snoring didn't wake me." she teased, leaning back into her pillows. "And now you're both awake, you can finish your plane-crashing demon story."

Dean groaned while Sam rolled his eyes. Sam reached out and grabbed Chloe's hand, leaning closer to continue the story. "Where were we?" he asked.

She frowned, before remembering. "Calling the air hostess."

"Right, well, it didn't stop her. Instead, we probably just got her back with her boyfriend." Chloe raised an eyebrow at that but didn't interrupt. "Instead we had to get on the plane."

Dean shuddered, catching Chloe's attention. She grinned. "Scared of flying, Dean?"

Dean shook his head, but Sam barked out a laugh. "Yeah, he is." Chloe sniggered at Dean's outraged expression. "He was terrified."

"Hey, the plane was going to crash." Dean protested, but Chloe rolled her eyes.

"It can't have been too bad Dean." she pointed out. "It might have been scary at the time, but clearly you survived. Not over your fear?"

"We got on board, and then I had to calm Dean down so that he wouldn't be possessed." Sam said. "Demons find it easier to possess people who are scared, or uneasy etc. So I sent Dean down to check if the air hostess was possessed."

"How do you check?" she interrupted. "Do you pour holy water on them?"

Dean laughed. "Yeah, that would be subtle, wouldn't it?" Chloe grinned innocently. "No, you say Christo. If they flinch, they're possessed."

"Or shocked at you suddenly saying Christo to them."

"So Dean came back." continued Sam. "Amanda, that's the air hostess, definitely wasn't possessed so we checked the rest of the plane with the EMF meter, and it turned out it was the co-pilot. I'd found a two-part exorcism in Dad's book." Chloe nodded, having read the exorcism before. "We told Amanda to get the co-pilot and after some persuading she got him. Then we threw holy water on him."

Chloe frowned. "So, even though it's not subtle you still do it. Why did you laugh at me?"

Dean smirked. "It burns the host when possessed; you don't really want to do it in public."

"Compared to looking like weirdoes, walking the aisle saying Christo to anyone who looks shifty?"

Sam grinned. "Yeah, well, I then read the first part of the exorcism while Dean held him down." Sam paused, remembering what happened.

'_I know what happened to your girlfriend…she must have died screaming…even now, she's burning'_

"Sam?" Sam jumped, staring directly into Chloe's worried eyes. "Sam?"

Sam glanced at his brother, who seemed to have remembered as well, and was now staring at his brother with concern. Sam shook his head slightly, before smiling weakly at Chloe. "I finished the first part," he croaked. "The demon went into the plane and there was some serious turbulence and the journal rolled down the aisle. I had to get it while Dean screamed in terror at the back of the plane."

Chloe giggled, raising her eyebrows at Dean's annoyed, yet embarrassed, look. "And did you finish the exorcism?"

"Yeah." Sam answered. "The plane landed safely and all was fine, apart from Dean."

Chloe giggled. "So you were the hero?"

Sam blushed, standing up and dropping Chloe's hand. He looked up at the ceiling, seemingly remembering something again. "I need to go." he announced suddenly. "I need to think; I'll come and see you later."

Chloe watched, confused as he left the room. "What's wrong?"

Dean frowned. "Bad memories." he answered. "Jess had just died."

"Who's Jess?" she pressed, watching as Dean almost answered. "You never told me."

"When Sam's ready, he'll tell you." Dean answered, sighing in relief when Chloe's phone rang. "Who is it?"

She frowned, reaching for the phone and checking the screen. "Clark." She answered it, listening as Clark greeted her. "You want Dean to what?" she asked, glancing up at Dean. "Yeah, alright, bye. Be careful."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "What does he want me to do?"

"Meet him in the Talon in ten. Lana's called him; Whitney seems to know something about the thugs."

Dean nodded, pushing himself out of his chair. "See you, Sullivan."

She nodded at him as he left the room, frowning at the emptiness of the room.

*

Dean pushed through the boarded doors of the old cinema, frowning at the dusty room, white cloth covering everything. He paused, awkward when he saw Whitney hugging Lana desperately. The jock was shaking, his face pale, while Lana stroked his hair. Dean cleared his throat, smirking as Whitney straightened up, his face slightly flushed.

Clark entered, frowning at the closeness of Lana and her boyfriend before turning all of his attention to the blonde. "Well?" he asked.

Whitney shook again, looking at the freshman. "After they get the money, they're going to kill Lex and probably me for betraying them."

Dean grimaced. "Wait a second. What's going on?"

Whitney didn't seem to want to tell Dean but Clark stepped forward. "They stole a disk from Lex when they were in the mansion, and now they're blackmailing him. Whitney joined them, but didn't realise that they were thieves and murderers. We need to stop them."

Dean nodded. "And the walking through walls thing?"

Whitney scowled, but lifted his sleeve up so Dean could see a tattoo on his arm. "It's the tattoos." he explained. "I don't know how, but they gave me one and then I went through a truck. They keep saying how it doesn't last long so they have millions of tattoos. Mine worked for longer because I've never had one before."

Clark frowned. "It's some sort of refined meteor rock."

"And that explains it." Dean growled. "So how you going to get out of this?"

Whitney looked down, Lana placing a hand on his forearm. "You did the right thing." she crooned, and Whitney relaxed slightly.

Clark looked at them with jealousy, and Dean frowned, wondering what attracted Smallville High boys to Lana Lang.

"I was a little too late." Whitney muttered.

"Where are they now?" Clark asked.

"Back at the loft, sleeping."

"Did you see the disk they stole from Lex?"

"No. But it has to be there." Whitney said, determined. "I could sneak in and get it."

Lana gasped, her eyes wide. "But it's dangerous." she whispered. "We should call the police."

"No cops." Whitney said, harshly, before realising his tone and softening his voice. "I'm in enough trouble as it is."

"Tell me where they are." Clark said, Dean staring at him intently. "I bet I could get in and get out before they even wake up."

Whitney shook his head, oblivious to how Clark scowled. "I can't let you go alone, Clark. I got myself into this mess. I have to try and get myself out of it."

Clark nodded reluctantly, turning to Dean. "Will you look after Lana?" he asked, not waiting for Dean's answer. "I'll call you when we've found the disk."

The two students left Dean with Lana. Dean turned at her, unsettled by the impressed look was giving him. "I hope you can look after yourself."

Lana's expression changed into shock. "What do you mean?"

"Do you think I'm waiting around here with you?" Dean asked. "I'm going to check on Sammy. If the thugs come, stay away from windows."

She sniffed. "You can't leave me. Clark told you to stay."

"Do I look like the kind of guy who takes advice from someone like Clark Kent?" Dean snarled. "Look, Barbie," he ignored her offended gasp. "If the thugs come to kill you, I'll be the first one at your gravestone or by your bed, but I won't stay long. I have better things to do."

He walked out.

*

Dean strode into Chloe's hospital room, frowning when he didn't see Sam. Chloe grinned at him. "I'm guessing from your early appearance, you weren't involved in the capture of the three musketeers."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "The thugs?"

"Yeah, the police found them. One of them was squished by a car, so I'm guessing his walking-through-walls power ran out." she told him. "The others have been arrested and all Lex's stuff was returned. Clark and Whitney saved the day."

Dean grimaced. "That's great."

"And the good news doesn't end there." she continued, grinning. "I've heard that my imprisonment is due to end and I should be realised tomorrow."

Dean smirked. "Happy to be free from all the jell-o and bedrest?"

She nodded. "Do you know where Sam is?"

Dean shook his head. "We'll pick you up."

*

"Sam, your girl was asking about you." Dean said when he saw Sam lying on his bed. "Wonders why you're not at her bedside."

"She's not my girl." Sam snarled, looking up at the ceiling. "And I don't have to be with her all the time."

Dean winced at Sam's angry tone. "Telling Chloe that story bring up bad memories?"

"You think?"

Dean looked down at the floor. "We're going to find who killed Jess." he said. "But we don't have any leads and it's best to stay here for now."

Sam scowled. "We've been here for months, Dean. Does it seem like there's ever going to be a lead on this thing?"

Dean sat on his own bed, watching as his brother stared vacantly at the ceiling. "There will be. Don't dwell on her death, Sam." Dean frowned when his brother didn't respond. "And tomorrow I'm going to sell my car and run away with Chloe to get married."

Sam tensed, staring at his brother. "What?" he sounded confused.

"Now I've got your attention." Dean said quietly. "Chloe's getting out tomorrow and I'm pretty sure she wants you to pick her up."

Sam nodded. "Of course."

"And then, we'll leave." Dean said, grimacing when Sam scowled in confusion. "Remember, an old friend needed our help."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, sure, as soon as I'm sure Chloe's alright."

*

Chloe walked down the road, glancing around Main Street, her uncast arm wrapped around Sam's. Sam wasn't paying attention – he had been distant ever since he had finished the story.

"Ah, the sweet smell of freedom." she breathed, grinning at Clark and Lana as they stood in front of the Talon.

Behind them was the Impala, and parked behind that was a silver Porsche. Dean was leaning on his car, shooting it annoyed glances as though he thought it was pulling people's attention from his car.

"Chloe, you were in hospital, not Alcatraz." Clark laughed, but Chloe frowned.

"You spend a week in there, and you'd feel like a prisoner too. I mean, come on, eating bad food, lights out by nine and no cable? I'm thinking about doing an exposé." Clark chuckled, but Chloe turned to Lana. "How's Whitney, by the way?"

"He's taking it one day at a time." she said happily, shooting an angry glare at Dean before entering the old cinema.

"Good." Chloe said to Clark. "All right, well, bye."

Clark frowned, watching as Chloe pulled her arm away from Sam and made to cross the road. "Where are you going?"

"I was just going to do some checking with the police. Apparently, none of the tattoo ink was found in the loft and Scott and Derek aren't saying anything to anyone, so I smell a cover up."

Dean straightened up, following Chloe across the street. Clark paused. "Chloe." he shouted after her. "It's good to have you back."

She turned, grinning for a second before wincing as Dean pulled her the rest of the way across the road, rolling his eyes as a car sped past. She raised her eyebrows at him. "My hero." she drawled sarcastically, waving to Clark and watching as Sam moved over to join them, glaring slightly at his brother.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thanks for reading. **


	14. Zero

**I'd like to thank Blaker316, Carol Alves and raven for reviewing!**Zero

* * *

"So, you're leaving to help an old friend?" Chloe asked, leaning across the table towards the brothers. "And by old friend, you mean…?"

Dean grimaced. "A friend who isn't new."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Really? So what's her name?"

"Cassie."

Sam looked at his brother in confusion. "You never mentioned her."

"Didn't I?" Dean sounded hesitant and Chloe turned to look at him.

"No."

"Yeah, we went out." Dean said nonchalantly, looking up at the ceiling as Chloe smirked.

"Do you mean you _dated _her?" she asked slowly, grinning as Dean rolled his eyes.

Sam gaped at his brother in shock. "For more than one night?"

Dean grimaced. "Am I speaking a language you're not getting here?" he growled. "Yeah, Dad and I were working a case up in Athens, Ohio, she was finishing up college and we went out for a couple of weeks."

"And?" Chloe asked, staring intently at Dean. "What happened?"

Sam frowned. "Look, it's terrible that her dad's dead but it sounds like a standard car accident. I'm not seeing how it fits with what we do. Which, by the way, how does she know what we do?"

Dean didn't respond, instead frowning even more intently at the table. Chloe raised an eyebrow. "You told her?"

Sam tensed, turning in his seat to glare at his brother. "You told her? The secret? Our big family rule number one? We do what we do and we shut up about it." Chloe made as if to interrupt them, clearly ready to point out that she knew their 'big family secret', but Sam stood up and her mouth closed. "For a year I did nothing but lie to Jessica, and you go out with this chick in Ohio a couple of times and you tell her everything? Dean!"

"Yeah..." Dean muttered. "Looks like it."

Chloe glanced between the two boys, eyebrows furrowed with concern. "Sam?" she asked quietly. "Are you alright?"

Sam swallowed, picking up his duffle bag and striding out the room. Chloe watched him, looking sadly at him, then turning to Dean. Dean smiled at her.

"See you, Sullivan." He waved, picking up his bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

"Bye." She murmured after him.

*

Chloe pushed through the moving masses of students at Smallville High to reach Pete and Clark by the stairs. She couldn't help smiling, even though she knew it wasn't as wide as normal. She couldn't help thinking about Sam's cold exit since the Winchester's had left, and it was made worse by the monotony of English class.

She finally reached her best friend's and followed them down the stairs towards the cafeteria. "I swear that there is nothing like 50 minutes of Mr Austin's English class that works up an appetite." She laughed.

"There's nothing like having a six-page biography due Monday to help me lose mine." Pete moaned, casually slinging an arm around Chloe's shoulder.

She grinned. "What, the biography part or the fact that our fellow student subjects were randomly assigned?"

Clark laughed at her question. "Pete's convinced that the drawing was fixed."

Chloe turned to Pete with a raised eyebrow. "There are three dozen ladies in our class..." Pete grumbled. "Each worthy of length interrogation."

Chloe grinned at him. "I keep saying, you and Dean would really get on well."

Pete rolled his eyes. "I got stuck with Stan Gibson."

Clark smiled weakly. "The manager of the student store? Well, I hear he's very..."

"Efficient?" Chloe said, laughing.

"Very funny." Pete drawled. "I'm about to learn more about the art of selling 'Go Crows' pendants than any human should have to endure." He turned to Chloe. "You haven't stopped smiling since you left the classroom. Who's your victim?"

Chloe pulled the small slip of paper out from her pocket with a flourish and grinned at her two friends mischievously. "The illustrious Mr Kent himself."

Pete winced at that, turning to Clark with an 'Ooh'. Clark stared at Chloe in shock. "Me?"

"I take it back." Pete said, sounding happy. "Chloe's the one with the challenge."

"Excuse me?"

"No offense Clark, but digging up six pages of interesting on you is going to require some serious excavation."

"I do stuff." Clark protested.

Chloe giggled at him, slipping an arm around Clark's own. "Yes, and I'm sure that once I deploy my journalistic skills on you, I'll be able to unearth a skeleton or two."

Chloe frowned when Clark stepped away from her. "You know, Chloe, this is a class project not a corruption scandal."

"Relax, Clark." Chloe grinned innocently at him. "It's not like you have anything to hide."

"Come on then Clark, cough up, who did you get?" Pete asked, rounding on his best friend.

"Oh, don't tell me." Chloe teased when Clark's face lit up. "Lana Lang." If possible, Clark Kent's smile grew even further. "Oh my god, just look at his face. You don't even have to say it."

"Definitely rigged." Pete whispered loudly to Chloe. "I assume you'll be starting your paper ASAP?"

"It's all going to work out." Clark said, the happiness permeating through his own voice. "I've been helping Lana over at the Talon, getting ready for the grand opening."

"Oh, that's nice." Chloe kidded. "The surrogate boyfriend does the heavy lifting while Whitney works at his dad's store."

"On that note..." Clark thought, walking slowly away.

Chloe gaped after him. "Wait!" Chloe yelled after him. "When are you going to sit down and do my interview?"

"Right." Clark said, turning around but still walking away. "I'll be around."

"Did he just blow me off?" Chloe asked, turning back to Pete with wide eyes. "I'm having the worst day."

Pete shot her a confused look. "One step forward, two steps back." He muttered. "Come on."

*

The Winchesters strode into the small building, glancing round as people hurried round the room. In the centre of the room stood an old man talking with a small, thin black woman with curly black hair. Dean stopped walking, his eyes widening. Sam turned to him, than stared at the woman.

She turned round, her jaw dropping when she caught sight of Dean and then her eyes filled with tears. Dean smiled weakly.

"Dean..." she breathed, pushing through the crowd to stand in front of them.

Dean swallowed. "Hey." He replied, his voice quiet. "This is my brother, Sam. I'm sorry to hear about your dad."

Sam watched as his brother spoke with Cassie, able to sense the awkwardness between the two of them. Dean dug in his pocket, pulling out the Impala keys, turning in order to walk back out the building. He hit Sam on the shoulder as he walked past. Sam rolled his eyes, allowing Cassie to walk next to his brother as he hung behind.

*

"My mother's in pretty bad shape." Cassie whispered, patting the space next to her on the sofa. "I've been staying with her." Dean sat next to her, slinging an arm round her shoulder. "I wish she would walk by herself, but she's been so nervous and frightened. She was worried about dad."

"Why?" Dean asked, his hand now running through Cassie's hair.

Sam was paying attention to the conversation, but he couldn't help watching as Dean interacted with Cassie. If it was a less serious situation, he would be treating Dean just as his brother treated him when he was with Chloe.

"He was scared." Cassie muttered. "He was seeing things."

"Like what?"

"He swore he saw an awful-looking, black truck following him."

Sam frowned. "A truck?" he asked. "Who was the driver?"

"He didn't talk about the driver. Just the truck. He said it would appear and disappear. And in the accident, dad's truck was dented. Like it had been slammed into something big."

"You're sure this dent wasn't there before?"

Cassie rolled her eyes at Sam, before leaning into Dean's hold. "He sold cars. Always drove a new one. I mean, there wasn't a scratch on that thing. It had rained hard all night, there was mud everywhere. There was a distinct set of tracks from Dad's car…" she paused, tears starting to trail down her cheeks. "Where he went over." she gulped. "And there was only one set of tracks. His."

"And the first person killed was a friend of your father's?" Dean asked.

"Best friend. Clayton Solmes. They owned the car dealership together. Same thing, dent, no tracks. And the cops said exactly what they said about dad – he lost control of the car."

"Can you think of any reason why your father and his partner might be targets?"

Cassie shook her head at Dean's question, burying her head into his shoulder.

"And you think this vanishing truck ran him off the road?" Sam questioned, trying not to upset Cassie even further.

She sat up, blinking. "Well, when you say it like that…" she murmured. "Listen, I'm a little sceptical about this… ghost stuff, or whatever it is you guys are into."

Dean snorted. "Sceptical?" he drawled, pulling his arm away from her. "Yeah, if I remember, I think you said it was nuts."

"That was then." Dean just grimaced, and she lowered her head. Dean finally pushed himself off the sofa and Cassie grabbed the sleeve of his jacket. "I just know that I can't explain what happened up there, so I called you."

Dean looked as if he didn't know what to do, and Sam saw his brother sigh in relief when another woman entered the room. She was older than Cassie, with pale skin and light brown hair, a few wrinkles lining her face.

"Mom!" Cassie gasped, letting go of Dean and rushing to her mother's side. "Where have you been? I was so…"

"I had no idea you'd invited friends over." Her mother said, looking sadly from Dean to Sam.

"Mom, this is Dean, a friend of mine from…uh…college. And his brother, Sam."

"Well, I won't interrupt you."

"Mrs Robinson." Dean said slowly. "We're sorry for your loss. And we'd like to talk to you for a minute, if you don't mind."

Her face hardened and Dean swallowed. "I'm not really up to that right now."

She stalked out the room, and Dean turned to Sam, shrugging.

*

Chloe glanced up when she heard the door opening, grinning when she saw Clark striding into the farmhouse.

"Hello?" he called, grabbing an apple from the table. "Anybody home?"

Chloe sniggered when Jonathan turned round in his chair to wave at his son. "Hey. Pull up a microphone, son."

Chloe's grin faded when she saw Clark realise what was happening and his expression faded, instead he looked blank. She looked away slightly, confused, before turning back to him with a smile.

"Hey, Chloe." he said hesitantly. "What's going on?"

Chloe smirked. "Since I couldn't find you all day, I decided to start my biological inquiry at the beginning." she answered. "And unlike a so-called friend of mine, your parents gracefully agreed to be interviewed."

Martha nodded slightly. "Chloe's been asking us some very interesting questions, Clark."

Chloe beamed at Clark's mother. "Thank you. Now, we just have a few more to go so… we were talking about the early days. Now, what was involved in adopting Clark?"

"W-Well," Jonathan stuttered, and Chloe's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Shouldn't they be eager to talk about when they brought Clark into their lives? "It was just like any normal adoption, I guess."

"Okay, well, can you take me through the process? Did it take weeks or months? I mean, did you guys use a lawyer or did you go through an agent?" Chloe paused, hearing her tape recorded click. She grimaced, opening it and wincing at full tape. "Shoot. I'm out of tape." She frowned when Clark's family relaxed. "It's okay; I've got a couple of spare C-90s in my car." She stood up, pushing past Clark to leave the farmhouse. "I'll be right back."

She rushed outside, leaning against her car and thinking over the interview. Clark's whole family were just as strange as he was, eager to talk about anything but Clark Kent. After a few minutes, watching Clark talk with his parents through the window, she pulled her phone out.

After scowling at the lack of contact either Winchester had tried to make with her, she finally opened the trunk. She rummaged through and pulled out one tape, returning back into the Kent farm.

"Sorry, am I interrupting?" she asked when Clark turned round in shock. "Oh Clark, now that you're finally spinning in my orbit, I have a few questions for you too."

Clark smiled apologetically at her, but Chloe was hurt that she could tell he didn't mean it. "Actually, this is just a pit stop for me." he told her. "I'm on my way to meet up with Lana to work on my paper."

"Not to strike a paranoid note, Clark, but are you avoiding me?"

Clark's eyes widened. "Tomorrow, I promise."

She nodded, watching as he rushed out the farmhouse and ran down the lane, ignoring the red truck. She frowned, turning back to the Kent's in confusion, choosing to ignore their slightly-frightened stares. "Okay, this isn't an official question, and I don't want you guys to take it the wrong way, but has your son always been this strange?"

*

"Jimmy meant something to this town. He was one of best." spoke the town mayor. "It won't be the same without him."

"Our best seem to be dropping like flies." snapped Cassie. "First Clayton, my father, and now Jimmy."

The mayor raised an eyebrow at her, then looked down the road. "What do you want me to do?"

"Well, how about closing this section of the road, for starters?"

"Close the main road, the _only_ road, in and out of town?" He shook his head disdainfully at Cassie. "Accidents do happen, Cassie. That's what they are, accidents."

Dean rolled his eyes, pushing in front of Cassie and staring at the mayor. "Did the cops check for additional denting in Jimmy's car?" he asked. "See if it was pushed?"

The mayor frowned at Dean. "Who is this?"

"Dean and Sam Winchester." Cassie introduced, pointing over to Sam, who was investigating the tracks on the road. "Family friends." She smiled up at Dean. "This is Mayor Harold Todd."

Harold nodded slightly, but still had serious expression on his face. "So, one set of tracks – one- doesn't point to foul play."

Cassie growled. "Mayor, the police and town officials take their cues from you. If you're indifferent about it…"

Harold's gaze snapped to Cassie. "Indifferent?"

"Would you close the road if the victims were white?" she snarled.

Harold's eyes widened and he glared at her, his voice lowering dangerously. "Are suggesting that I'm racist, Cassie?" he asked. "I'm the last person you should be talking to like that."

"And why is that?"

"Why don't you ask your mother?"

*

Dean and Sam strode into the small bar, glancing round before approaching a Caucasian man sitting at the bar. "Excuse me?" Dean asked. "Are you Ron Stubbins?" The man nodded. "You were friends with Jimmy Anderson?"

"Who are you?" he croaked.

"We're with Mr Anderson's insurance company. We're just here to dot some I's and cross some T's."

Sam nodded, sitting next to the distraught man. "We were just wondering, had the deceased mentioned any recent unusual experiences?"

"What do you mean?" Ron asked. "Unusual?"

"Well, visions, hallucinations."

"It's all part of a medical examination." Dean interrupted. "All very standard."

"What company did you say you were with?" Ron asked, suspicious.

Dean glanced at Sam, but then smiled at Ron. "All National Mutual." Dean made up, pulling part of an envelope out of his jacket for a second, returning it quickly. "Tell me, did he ever mention seeing a truck?" Dean asked, not noticing how the African-American next to Ron had turned to them in interest. "A big, black truck?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" snapped Ron. "You even speaking English?"

"Son, this truck…" said the man, drawing the Winchesters attention. "A big, scary, monster-lookin' thing?"

"Yeah, actually, I think so." answered Dean.

"Hm."

"What?"

"I have heard of a truck like that."

"You have?" asked Sam. "Where?"

"Not where – when. Back in the sixties, there was a string of deaths. Black men. Story goes, they disappeared in a big nasty black truck."

"They ever catch the guy that did it?" Dean asked, ignoring Ron now.

"Never found him; hell, I'm not sure they really looked." he grimaced. "See, there was a time this town wasn't too friendly to all its citizens."

"Thank you." Sam smiled at the man, leading Dean out from the bar and back towards the Impala.

"Truck." Dean said, frowning.

"Keeps coming up, doesn't it?"

"You know what I'm thinking?" Dean asked. "You heard of the flying Dutchman?"

"Yeah, a ghost ship infused with the captain's spirit." Sam nodded. "Basically a part of him."

"Yeah, so what if we're dealing with the same thing?" Dean wondered, leaning against his car. "You know, a phantom truck that's the extension of some bastard ghost, re-enacting past crimes."

"The victims have all been black men."

"It's more than that." Dean muttered. "They all seem connected to Cassie and her family."

"Alright, well, you work that angle." Sam agreed. "Go talk to her."

"Yeah, I will."

Sam smirked suddenly. "You might want to mention that other thing."

Dean turned to him, confused. "What other thing?"

"The serious unfinished business. Dean, what is going on between you two?"

"What is going on between you and Chloe?" Dean snapped back, but Sam just raised an eyebrow. "Alright, so maybe we were a little bit more involved than I said."

"Ok, yeah."

"Okay, a lot more." Dean admitted. "And I told her the secret about what we do and I shouldn't have."

"No, look, man, everybody's got to open up to someone, sometime." Sam told his brother.

"Yeah, I don't."

"_You_ told Chloe."

"Did you ever think Chloe wouldn't be able to handle it? She deals with the weird every day – for god sakes Sam, she's even close to Clark – and even we don't know what he is." Dean sighed, raising a hand to his forehead. "Look, with Cassie, it was stupid to get that close and look how it ended." Sam smiled, staring at his brother. "Would you stop?"

"You loved her." Sam muttered, shocked.

"Oh, God." Dean moaned, starting to open the door to the car.

"You were in love with her, but you dumped her." Dean glanced up at him, shaking his head. "Oh, wow. She dumped you."

"Sam!" snarled Dean. "Get in the car!" Sam did so, smirking at his older brother. "And don't you dare tell Chloe about this."

"Why?" Sam asked, confused.

"You might not be brave enough to get back at me for all the times I tease you and Chloe, but Chloe would." he answered, still frowning as the Impala pulled away from the pavement. "She's not a wimp."

*

"Come on, Pete." Chloe groaned, frowning at her friend. "I'm desperate. Now the only information I can get from the Kent's was the earth-shattering admission that Clark hates peas."

Pete rolled his eyes, staring at her incredulously. "Chloe, a body part shows up at the Talon and all you can do is talk about Clark." Chloe waved that fact aside, fixing him with a glare. "Where are your priorities? You know Lex Luthor has to be mixed up in this somehow."

"Easy." Chloe muttered, resting a hand on Pete's arm in an attempt to calm him down. "Now, I know you've got issues with the Luthors but…"

"More than issues." snarled Pete. "You know what the Luthor's did to my family."

"Okay, one piece of investigative information at a time." Chloe insisted, laughing at Pete's shocked expression when she turned the conversation back to Clark. "Now, about Clark?"

"Chloe, what do you want from me?" Pete asked. "In a world full of designer water, Clark Kent is straight from the tap."

"I know, but you've known him the longest." Chloe persisted. "I mean, all I need is just, like, a little anecdote. Just a small piece of information form Clark's deep, dark past."

"Well, there was something back in first grade." Pete admitted.

"Thank You!" Chloe yelled, watching as Pete rolled his eyes. "That's more than I've uncovered in the past two days. Now, please, let's continue."

"There was this bully three grades ahead of us." Pete narrated. "This dude was determined to pound dents into every kid in school. One day, I guess it was my turn. He was just about to take my head off when Clark jumped between us."

"So Clark ran interference." Chloe stated, pushing through into the Torch, and grinning when she saw Clark already sitting at her desk. "Now, as kind as that sounds, Pete, I really don't think it falls under the 'something amazing' category."

"What?" Clark asked, looking confused.

"I'm not finished." Pete grinned. "Clark didn't just push the guy away. He put him through the door, as in splinters and broken hinges. How he did it, I still have no idea. The guy was twice our size."

Chloe gaped, turning to Clark. "Clark, any comment?"

"Well, we were, uh, you know, six years old." Clark stuttered. "Twice our size was three feet tall."

"If you need any more ancient history, ask the source." Pete announced. "I've got an appointment at the student store."

Chloe waved Pete away. "Have fun." she called after him. "And so the mystery that is Clark Kent deepens."

"Mystery?" Clark asked, sounding amused.

"Yeah. Since you continue to play obstructionist, I've had to find information through other means."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Obstructionist?" he laughed. "Chloe, you know how hard it is to talk to you about anything?" Chloe's jaw dropped, and she stuttered. Clark seemed to realise what he said, and looked down, embarrassed. "You're never alone anymore. If I want to speak to you, you're with those brothers and I can't get a word in, and if I do, you exchange these glances with them and I don't feel like your best friend."

Chloe's eyes widened and she blushed. "I'm not with them now."

"Yeah, but now you're hunting my past." Clark grimaced. "You're a journalist, Chloe. If I wanted you to know my sordid past, I'd have organised an interview."

She grinned, sitting next to Clark and leaning into his side. "So you admit there's a sordid past?"

"If accidentally overfeeding the goldfish counts." Clark laughed.

"No!" Chloe smiled up at him, blushing slightly. "I was thinking more like this." Chloe picked up a file from her desk. "I found that your adoption was done through Metropolis United Charities. But this is the strange part. They were only in business for six months and from what I can tell, yours is the only adoption they handled."

Chloe paled when Clark stood up suddenly, staring at her angrily. "I can't believe you did this."

"You didn't know?" Chloe said quietly. "I mean, I assumed your parents would have told you. I mean, weren't you interested?"

"Why would I be?" Clark snapped. "My biological parents are either dead or didn't want me. The point is that you're prying into my life."

"I was just trying to be thorough." Chloe whispered.

"Since those Winchester's came, we haven't been as close as we were before. We hardly see each other unless something strange has happened." Clark snapped. "You don't have any right to do this."

Chloe's jaw dropped. "Clark, it's not just my fault. You know, half the time I spend with the Winchester's is because you're unavailable. Whenever I want to see _you_, you're with Lana. And everyone knows that you can't see anyone else when Lana's in the same building as you."

"I spent an hour yesterday with Lana." Clark growled. "This is a class project. That's it. An hour was all I needed. I'm not some mystery for you to solve."

He strode out the room, not looking back. "Clark…" she cried, sobbing onto her desk.

*

Sam sat in the motel, grinning at the sight of his brother's empty bed. Dean hadn't returned after he went to see Cassie, so Sam had been alone. Unfortunately, all he was able to think about was how he hadn't told Jess the family secret and how that demon that they exorcised on the plane had spoken to him about her.

It had been a bad idea telling that story to Chloe.

His phone rang and he turned it over in his hand, tensing at Chloe's name. He opened his phone, but paused, unsure whether or not he should answer. After a few more rings, he pressed answer and raised it to his ear.

"Chloe?" he asked. "Why are you calling?"

"Am I no longer allowed?" she said, her voice croaky. "Seeing as I spend all my time with you."

"What?" Sam asked, confused. "Are you alright? You sound like you've been crying."

There was a silence on the other end. "Clark hates me." she said suddenly. "I was looking into his adoption and Clark got mad."

"Clark's adopted?" Sam asked, reaching over for their father's journal so he could write that information in. "Didn't he know?"

"Yeah." Chloe spat. "But you know, I can't look into Clark at all but he can as _thorough _as he wants with Lana Lang."

"What's happened?"

"I found that his adoption was the only one the charity handled." she said. "It can't be just me who thinks that's strange?"

"It's not." Sam assured her. "Was that why you called?"

"What are you doing?" she asked. "What's Dean's girlfriend like?"

Sam paused. "She's a journalist." he admitted. "But she's nothing like you. She is less than willing to accept anything strange or unusual."

"Shouldn't venture near Smallville then." Chloe muttered. "What made her call you?"

"We think there's this black truck killing black people." Sam told her. "And it's somehow connected to Cassie." Sam frowned when his phone showed that he had missed a call. "Sorry, Chloe, but I have to go."

He heard Chloe swallow. "Sam." she murmured. "It's times like this, when Clark isn't talking to me and Pete is occupied by the student store manager, when…" Sam paused, his hand hovering over the red button. "Pete and Clark are really my only friends… I mean there's Lana but she tends to be with Clark…Well, I…" Sam was still, waiting for her to finish. "Nevermind."

She hung up.

Sam frowned. What she was going to say? He sat for a second longer, before calling whoever had just called him.

*

"He's with me." Sam told the policeman, waving Dean over. "Where were you last night?" Dean said nothing, so Sam smiled. "You didn't make it back to the motel."

"Nope." Dean grinned.

"So I'm guessing you guys worked things out?"

Dean grimaced. "We'll be working things out when we're ninety." Sam laughed. "What happened?"

"Every bone crushed. Internal organs turned to pudding. The cops are all stumped, but it's like something ran him over."

Dean groaned. "Like a truck?"

"Yeah."

"Tracks?"

"No."

Dean sighed. "What was the mayor doing here anyway?"

"He owned the property, bought it a few weeks ago."

"yeah, but he's white." Dean grumbled. "He doesn't fit the pattern."

Sam nodded. "Killings didn't happen up on the road. That doesn't fit either."

*

"Chloe?" Sam said into his phone, watching as Cassie offered his brother a coffee. "Hey."

"Hi." she answered.

"Before?" Sam started. "What were you going to say?"

There was silence. "Why did you call me Sam?" She sounded tired. "Do you need me?"

Sam didn't answer, frowning when Dean noticed him. "Is that Chloe?" Dean called over. "She could be useful."

There was a laugh on the other end. "I heard that." Chloe said, sounding happier. "I'd be glad to help."

Sam grimaced, walking over to Dean and sitting by the opposite desk. "Are you sure you're alright?" Sam asked, his voice quiet so Dean wouldn't hear.

"I'm fine." Chloe answered. "If Clark doesn't talk to me soon, I'm going to go to Martha Kent and beg for baby pictures so I can blackmail him into talking to me."

"How will that work?" Sam wondered, smiling slightly at the improvement in Chloe's mood.

"Well, after begging for the photos, he'll have spent so much time with me, he'll remember what a wonderful person I am." He could tell she was grinning. "So, what do I need to do?" Sam pressed the speaker button so her voice echoed round the whole room. "My recent investigation hasn't gone to well, so I need something to look into."

"Thanks." Dean grinned at the phone. "I'm trying to find a link between some killings in the sixties and what's going on now, but there wasn't a lot about it in the paper."

"Dean, I'm not psychic." Chloe joked. "I can't hear your voice and instantly know what you're hunting." Dean rolled his eyes, explaining everything to Chloe. Chloe listened quietly. "You know, Dean." Chloe said suddenly. "I'm sure you can find your way round the internet. To me, it seems like you're using me."

Dean raised an eyebrow, not knowing that had had a bad day. "Use you?" he replied, sounding shocked. "Never! Digging up information's your only purpose."

"Hey!"

"What else would I need you for?" Dean asked.

Chloe was silent for a few seconds. "You know, Dean, not all information is meant to be excavated."

Dean frowned. "You help, I'll buy you pie."

"I don't like pie."

"What?" Dean gaped, looking at Sam in astonishment.

"Off-topic, Shorty." she snapped.

Dean raised his eyebrows. "Unless you've had a sudden growth spurt, you were the short one." Chloe laughed. "Now come on, I'll get Sam to buy you a coffee."

He grinned over at his brother, who rolled his eyes. "Fine." Chloe sighed. "But only because you asked so nicely."

The phone line fell silent.

Cassie shot confused glances at Sam, who shrugged. "Who's Chloe?" she asked.

"A family friend." Sam answered. "Chloe's in high school. I think Dean thinks of her as a little sister."

Cassie relaxed, leaning over Dean to read what was on his computer screen.

"Like I said, Chloe." Dean finished. "There's nothing in the papers."

"Not surprising." Cassie told him. "Probably minimal police work too. Back then, equal justice under the law wasn't too literal around here."

Sam reached for a small book, reading through it, listening to the typing coming from Dean. "The courthouse records show that Mr and Mrs Mayor bought an abandoned property." he read. "The previous owner was the Dorian family for like 150 years."

"Dorian?" Dean asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Yeah."

"Didn't you say that the Dorian family used to own this paper?" Dean asked Cassie.

"Along with most everything else around here." Cassie answered. "Real pillars of the town."

Suddenly, Chloe gasped and Dean reached for the phone, Sam grabbing it first. "What?" he asked.

"So much for nothing in the paper." She said and Sam sniggered when Dean frowned. "I found this article –'Dorian still missing. Cyrus Dorian missing for more than a week.' – Cyrus Dorian vanished in April of 1963. This was when the murders was going on, right?"

"Yeah." Sam said, clicking on something on the computer. "I pulled up a bunch of paper up on the Dorian place, it must have been in bad shape when the Mayor bought it."

"Why?" Dean asked.

"The first thing he did was bulldoze the place."

"Mayor Todd knocked down the Dorian place?" Dean repeated, scowling.

"It was a big deal. One of the oldest local houses left. It made the first page." Cassie grimaced.

"You got a date, Sammy?"

"The third of last month." Sam read. "The first killing was the very next day."

*

"So, solved." Chloe grinned into her phone. "That's my first successful case in a while. Then again, I didn't look that much into the gift wrapped hand that Lex received yesterday."

"What?" Sam asked, sounding shocked.

"Don't know. Something to do with Lex's past, according to Clark." she frowned. "Now, I just have to get phase one of my 'Baby Photo Blackmail' Plan into action."

"I'm sure it will work."

"Yeah." she breathed. "I'll see you when you get back."

"Bye, Chloe."

"Bye, Sam."

She hung up, almost placing her phone down on the table. She frowned when it burst into sound, the caller id displaying the name 'Clark Kent'.

"Clark?" she answered, her voice quiet. "Look, I'm sor…"

He interrupted her, and his voice was panicked. "Chloe, I'm not calling about that. Can you just get here as soon as possible?"

Chloe's eyes widened at his tone. "Yeah, Clark. I'll be there. But after that, we need to talk."

Clark hung up, and Chloe grimaced, seizing the keys to her dads Volvo and running outside the house. She sped through Smallville, pulling up at the Kent Farm. It was empty, but she spotted many vans parked by the Kent's field, so she ran over.

She paused, shocked at what met her eyes. Numerous LuthorCorp barrels were spread, open, across the Kent's fields. Dead cows lay scattered round the field, near the puddles of bubbling chemicals. Chloe sprinted back to her car, grabbed her camera and returned, carefully approaching Clark. He saw her, waving her over before turning back to watch as men in protective suits investigated.

"What do you think happened?" she asked, her voice quiet. Clark turned to look at her, frowning. "Why would LuthorCorp dump their stuff here?" Clark shrugged, twirling away from her when Lex Luthor called out his name. Chloe scowled, resting her hand gently on Clark's arm. "I'm going to take some photos from different angles."

Clark nodded, letting her walk away.

*

Sam passed Cassie a cup of tea before sitting opposite her, watching her with concern. A few minutes ago, she had called them for help and Dean had rushed them over. It turned out that the truck had appeared outside of Cassie's house, lights blazing.

"You didn't see who was driving the truck?" Dean asked, holding Cassie tightly. "Anyone?"

"Seemed to be no one." she muttered. "Everything was moving so fast. And then it was just gone. Why didn't it kill us?"

Sam missed Chloe and her strange conclusions that always seemed to be right. At times like this, she would have been useful.

"Whoever's controlling the truck wants you afraid first."

Sam turned to Cassie's mother. "Mrs Robinson, Cassie said that your husband saw the truck before he died."

She didn't respond.

"Mom?" Cassie whispered.

"Oh, Martin was under a lot of stress." she answered casually, not looking at anyone. "You can't be sure what he was seeing."

"Well, after tonight, I think we can be reasonably sure that he was seeing a truck." Dean said, shocked at Mrs Robinson's denial. "What happened tonight – you and Cassie are marked. Okay?"

"Dean..." Cassie warned.

Mrs Robinson sobbed. "Yes." she whimpered. "Yes, he said he saw a truck."

"Did he know who it belonged too?" Sam asked gently.

"He thought he did."

"Who was that?" Dean asked.

Mrs Robinson sniffed slightly. "Cyrus." she whispered. "A man named Cyrus."

Dean nodded, pulling the faxed article from his pocket. "Is this Cyrus?" he asked, pointing at the greyscale picture.

"Cyrus Dorian died more than 40 years ago." stated Mrs Robinson.

"How do you know he died?" Dean asked, grimacing as Mrs Robinson looked away guiltily. "The paper said he went missing. How do you know he died?"

"We were all very young." protested Mrs Robinson. "I dated Cyrus for awhile, but I also seeing Martin. In secret, of course. Interracial couples didn't go over too well then. When I broke it off with Cyrus, and when he found out about Martin…I don't know, he – he changed. His hatred was frightening."

Sam shot a surprised look at Dean. "The murders."

"There were rumours. People of colour disappearing in some kind of truck. But nothing was ever done." Once again, she collapsed back into the chair, crying. "Martin and I, we were, uh, going to be married in that little church near here. But last minute, we decided to elope because we didn't want the attention."

"And Cyrus?" Dean prompted.

"The day we set for the wedding was … the day someone set fire to the church. There was a children's choir practicing there. They all died."

"Did the attacks stop after that?" Sam asked, softly.

"No." she cried. "There was one more. One night, that truck came for Martin. Cyrus beat him something terrible. But Martin, you see, Martin got loose. And he started hitting Cyrus and he just kept hitting him and hitting him."

She stopped, shaking. Dean frowned. "Why didn't he call the cops?"

"This was forty years ago!" she screamed, hysterical "He called on his friends, Clayton Solmes and Jimmy Anderson, and they put Cyrus' body in the truck and rolled it into the swamp at the end of this land, and all three of them kept this secret all these years."

"And now all three are gone." Sam whispered.

"So is Mayor Todd." Dean added. "Now, he said that you, of all people, would know that he is not a racist. Why would he say that?"

"He was a good man. He was a young deputy back then, investigating Cyrus' disappearance." Mrs Robinson said, really quietly. "Once he figured out what Martin and the others had done, he...he did nothing. Because he also knew what Cyrus had done."

Cassie's eyes widened and she sobbed slightly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought I was protecting them." Her mother sighed. "And now there's no one left to protect."

"Yes." Dean said suddenly. "There is."

Mrs Robinson's eyes widened and she turned to her daughter, reaching out for her hand.

*

Later, the Winchester's strode out of Cassie's house, standing at the porch.

"My life was so simple. Just school." Sam laughed weakly, talking to Dean. "Exams. Papers on polycentric norms."

Dean chuckled. "So, I guess I saved you from a boring existence."

"Yeah." Sam admitted. "Occasionally, I miss boring."

Dean smiled. "Alright." Dean started. "So, this killer truck..."

Sam grinned. "I miss conversations that don't start with 'this killer truck'."

"This Cyrus guy..."

"Yeah." Sam said, listening to his brother.

"Evil on a level that infected even his truck." Dean grimaced. "And when he died, the swamp became his tomb. And his spirit was dormant for forty years."

"So, what woke it up?"

"The construction on his house. Or, the destruction."

"Right." Sam nodded. "Demolition or remodelling can awaken sprits, make them restless. Like that theatre in Illinois."

"Yeah. And the guy who tears down the family homestead, Harold Todd, is the same guy who kept Cyrus' murder unsolved."

"So now his spirit's awakened and out for blood."

"Yeah, I guess." Dean grimaced. "Who knows what ghosts are thinking anyway?"

"You know," Sam groaned. "We're going to have to dredge that body up from the swamp, right?" Dean grinned largely, falsely, and nodded his head. "Oh man."

"You said it." Sam smiled just as Cassie slid through the door. Dean turned, smirking at her. "Hey."

"Hey." She replied, her voice weak. "She's asleep. Now what?"

"Well, you stay put." Dean ordered. "Look after her. We'll be back. Don't leave the house."

"Don't go getting all authoritative on me." Cassie snapped, smiling. "I hate it."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Don't leave the house, _please_. "

Sam turned to walk away, smirking as he saw Dean lean in to kiss Cassie. He frowned, leaning against the Impala, smirking as Dean held up one finger.

*

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Chloe whispered, looking down when Clark looked up from the sofa. "How are you doing?"

She looked up so that she could see what Clark was doing. He was staring at her, frowning. "That depends if it's on the record or not."

Chloe bit her lip nervously, stepping slowly forward and perching herself on the small coffee table, just away from a pile of papers. "Okay, I deserved that." She admitted. "Look, I didn't mean to ambush you with the whole adoption thing."

"Hey, you saw a story and you went for it." Clark snarled. "That's what journalists do."

"You're right, you're right." Chloe murmured, smiling when Clark leant towards her. "I didn't think about how much it would hurt you, and you know, I..." she swallowed, reaching out for Clark's hand and clasped it with her own, raising her eyes to catch Clark's intense stare. "I would much rather have a friend than a subject. So I'm dropping the whole thing."

Clark smiled. "Thank you."

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked, tightening her grip on Clark's hand. "Totally off the record. Do you ever wonder about your biological parents?"

Clark sighed. "Every day of my life."

Chloe smiled, awkwardly, releasing Clark's hand. There was a silence, Clark watching her as she reached for her phone, checking it as she tried to make the atmosphere less awkward. She had no messages so she frowned, instead glancing at the wooden table. Her eyes widened at the aged copy of the Inquisitor spread over the table. "Looks like I'm not the only one doing some digging." She grinned, scanning through the article. "What's Club Zero?"

"Part of Lex's past he asked me to stay out of." Clark admitted.

Chloe frowned. "Oh, by the way," she started, pulling some photos out from her pocket. "I brought by some pictures from your parents. I figured they could use it for insurance purposes and stuff. I'll see you later." She whispered, watching as he took them from her. "I have to go."

"Chloe?" Clark said, scowling, passing her a picture back. A CEP man was frowning at the camera, but nothing strange. She raised an eyebrow, smiling as Clark grimaced, snatching the photo back and laying it next to the Inquisitor. "It's the same guy."

"Wait..." Chloe murmured, sitting back next to Clark. "But isn't he...I mean, he's..."

Clark nodded. "Dead."

*

"Alright." Sam said, watching as Dean controlled the dredge. "Let's get her up." Dean nodded, pulling the truck almost completely out of the swamp. "Little more." Sam told him. There was a loud noise, then Dean was slowly dragging the truck up from the swamp. "Stop."

Dean climbed out the vehicle, raising an eyebrow at the old truck. "Hell, yeah."

"What am I getting?" Sam asked.

"Gas, flashlight." Dean listed, watching his brother.

"Got them." He added.

"Alright, let's get this done."

Sam nodded, approaching the door of the car and standing by the driver's side door. They exchanged an anxious glance, then Dean opened it, cautiously, wincing when they saw the decomposing body of who they assumed was Cyrus Dorian.

Dean nodded at his brother, pulling the body out of the truck and laying it down. Dean poured salt over the body while Sam poured the gas onto the corpse. Dean tossed a lighter onto the dead body, stepping back as it burst into flames.

"Think that'll do it?! Sam asked.

They turned as there was roaring from down the road, eyes widening at the headlights. "I guess not."

"So burning the body had no effect on that thing?" Sam asked, standing still as he watched the black truck.

"Sure it did." Moaned Dean. "Now it's really pissed."

"But Cyrus' ghost is gone, right, Dean?"

"Apparently not." Dean groaned. "At least not the part that's fused with the truck."

Dean stepped away from Sam, walking towards the Impala. "Where are you going?" Sam asked.

"I'm going for a little ride." Dean smirked.

"What?"

"I'm going to lead that thing away." He answered. "That rusted crap, you need to burn it."

Sam gaped. "How the hell am I supposed to burn a truck, Dean?"

Dean grinned. "Figure something out."

Sam frowned as Dean got into the Impala and pulled away from the swamp, the truck chasing after him. Sam cursed, pulling his father's journal out of his pocket and rifling through it. His cell phone rang and he picked it up.

"Chloe?" he answered quickly, hearing her start talking. "I really don't have time. I'll call you back."

He didn't give her time to respond, hanging up and returning to the book. The phone rang once again and he almost didn't pick it up. It rang on and he answered.

"Dean, you have to give me a minute."

"I don't have a minute!" Dean's panicked voice echoed through the phone. "What are we doing?"

Sam glanced round nervously. "Let me get back to you." Sam hung up, flicking through his phone book and calling Chloe. "Chloe? Don't speak. This is important." There was silence. "I need you to find the exact spot of an old church..."

*

"Dean?" Sam called into the phone, sighing when Dean picked it up. "Alright?"

"This had better be good."

"Where are you?"

"I'm in the middle of nowhere with a killer truck on my ass!" Dean yelled. "I mean, it's like it knows I put a torch to Cyrus."

"Dean, listen to me." Sam said calmly. "It's important that I know exactly where you are!"

There was a short silence before Dean replied. "Decatur Road, about two miles off the highway."

"Okay, head east." Sam ordered.

"Yes." There was a silence. "You son of a bitch!"

"Okay, uh, turn right." Sam said, anxious. "Up ahead, turn right. You make the turn?"

"Yeah!" Dean replied, Sam hearing the nerves in his voice. "You're going to need to move this thing along a little faster."

"Right, you see a road ahead?" Sam read from a sheet of paper he held in front of him, a rough map drawn onto the sheet. "Turn left."

"What!" Dean snarled. "Alright."

"You need to go exactly seven-tenths of mile, then stop."

"Stop?"

"Exactly seven-tenths, Dean."Sam stood still, waiting for a few seconds as Dean fell quiet. "Dean, are you still there?"

"Yeah." Dean replied, his voice quiet.

"What's happening?"

"It's just staring at me." Dean answered. "What do I do?"

"Just do what you are doing. Bringing it to you." Sam tensed as the phone fell silent, and for a few minutes he just listened. "Dean?" he whispered. "Dean? You still there?"

"Where'd it go?"

"Dean, you're where the church was." Sam told him, smiling with relief.

"What church?"

"The place Cyrus burned down." Sam answered. "Murdered all those kids."

"Not a whole lot left."

"Church ground is hallowed ground, whether the church is still there or not. Evil spirits that cross over hallowed ground, sometimes they're destroyed." Sam told his brother. "So I figured maybe that would get rid of it."

"Maybe?" Dean shouted. "Maybe? What if you were wrong."

Sam's eyes widened. "Honestly, that thought hadn't occurred to me."

*

Chloe sat in the Torch office, the picture of the dead man still up on her computer screen. Her phone rang, and she picked it up.

"Clark?" she answered, but there was silence.

"Uh, no, it's Sam."

Chloe smiled slightly. "Did it work?" she answered. "Dean's insides aren't melted, right? The church co-ordinates were right?"

"You weren't sure?"

"Well, it doesn't matter. It worked." She replied. "How's Dean, then?"

"Well, I think Cassie and him are over." Sam told her quietly. "We're on our way home."

Chloe grinned. "Well, Sam, I think hunting isn't the best job for love." She said. "Do you have any idea how someone could come back from the dead?"

Sam was silent. "I don't know. We'll discuss it when we're back."

"Yeah." She agreed. "Tell Dean I'm glad he's alright." She grinned. "And, remember, you owe me a coffee."

Sam groaned, causing Chloe to giggle. She looked up, just as Clark strode into the Torch.

"Chloe, I think it's Dean who owes you a coffee."

Chloe didn't say anything for a few seconds, smiling up at Clark instead. "Sam," she said into her phone, ignoring how Clark frowned. "I didn't just help Dean. In fact, I'd say you owed me two coffees."

"Not at once."

Chloe giggled again, scowling slightly when she felt Clark lay a hand on her shoulder. "Sam, I have to go."

Clark pulled the phone from her hand, slapping it closed before smiling weakly at her. "Chloe?" he asked.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Everything alright?"

"Still no word from Lex." Clark said, looking worried. "No one's spoken to him since this morning."

"Okay, well, I pulled our alleged dead guy's license plate." She pointed at the screen. "It's registered to a John Smith. Very original. He has an address in Metropolis and he does not work for the CEP."

"How did you do that?" Clark asked.

"I hacked into the DMV database." Chloe answered. "See? Sometimes, persistence is a good thing."

"Call Metropolis PD." Clark told her, straightening up. "Have them go to the address."

Chloe glanced up at him, frowning. "What's going on?"

"I think Lex is in serious trouble."

Chloe nodded, reaching for the phone. When she turned around, Clark was gone. "Clark?"

*

Chloe sat in front of her computer, the only light coming from the screen. One hand was twisting her necklace round her hands and the other lay on the computer mouse. She stared at the screen, reading the article one more time before looking at the dialogue box.

_Save Document?_

Chloe gulped, the mouse hovering above Delete, but she grimaced, changing it to the save button. She frowned, changing back to delete and then back to save.

She sighed as the clock changed, marking it to be eight o'clock. Finally, she pressed save. As the document fell from the screen, the lights flickered on and she looked up.

The Winchester's stood in the doorway, looking at her.

"I figured you'd be here." Sam smiled, walking over to her. "Why are you all dressed up?"

Chloe blushed slightly. "The Talon's opening tonight." She told them. "If I remember, you promised to take me."

Chloe scowled when she didn't hear a normal snigger from Dean, who instead was just watching them, frowning slightly. She paused, remembering how Sam had said that Cassie had finished with Dean.

"We'll meet you back at the house." Sam told his brother, slipping an arm round Chloe's waist and leading her towards the door.

Chloe frowned, turning round to see Dean still standing in the room. "Dean?" she said, smiling weakly as he turned to face her. "You know, Martha Kent is catering so there'll probably be pie." Dean didn't respond, and Chloe shot Sam a worried look. "Lots of it." There was still no answer. "It's probably free."

Dean rolled his eyes, turning to face them. "Fine." He said, smirking slightly. "But don't blame me for interrupting your date."

Chloe grinned, stepping away from Sam and walking over to Dean. He stared at her, confused, as she leant closer towards him for a short time, then stepped back, the Impala keys dangling from her finger.

"You'll have to beat me to the car though." She said, beaming. "You don't want to have to walk."

Dean growled as she turned away, running past Sam and grabbing his hand, pulling him down the corridor as they ran from Dean.

He caught up quickly, snatching the keys back from her hand and ruffling her hair. She frowned, annoyed, letting go of Sam's hand to adjust her hair.

"Sorry, Shorty." He told her, chuckling. "Only Winchesters drive."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thanks for reading. **


	15. Nicodemus

**I'd like to thank miki, blaker316, Carol Alves and anonymous for reviewing.**

* * *

Nicodemus

"So, when are you painting each other's nails?" Dean asked, frowning when he saw Chloe perched on the end of Sam's bed in her pyjamas. "Or are you having a pillow fight today?"

"Aw." Chloe said, turning away from Sam. "Do you want me to do your nails, Dean?"

Dean grimaced. "I'll leave you girls alone."

Grabbing his father's journal, Dean strode out from the room. Chloe didn't bother watching him leave, instead pulling herself further onto the bed and crossing her legs. She grinned at Sam.

Sam stared at her, wondering why she was sitting on the end of her bed. "Chloe?"

She glanced down. "So..." she said slowly. "I know I shouldn't but...when you went to see Cassie, you were talking about Jess. Who was she?"

Sam's eyes widened and he hunched over. "My girlfriend." He whispered. "Look, Chloe, I don't want to talk about it."

She nodded. "I know...but...please?"

Sam shook his head, but Chloe reached over to his hand. "Look...Chloe...she was killed. By the same thing that killed my mother." He said suddenly.

"Did she know...what you do?" she whispered, looking at Sam's angst-ridden face. "Hunting?"

"No." Sam said. "I wish she had."

"What happened to her? How was she killed?" Sam said nothing, instead covering his face with his hands and leaning back into his bed. Chloe frowned, pushing forward even more. "Sammy?" she whispered. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head slightly, his eyes squeezed shut. Chloe grimaced. "Recently, I can't stop hurting people." She muttered. "First, Clark, and you..."

With one final move forwards, she engulfed him in a tight hug, smiling when she felt him hug her back. She paused, waiting until Sam's grip loosened before she pulled away.

She purposely ignored Sam's red-rimmed eyes as she reached into the chest pocket of her pyjamas and pulled out a short note. She lay next to Sam, passing the paper to him.

He sniffed slightly. "Miss Sullivan." He read. "Although I appreciate your work on the paper, I believe the Torch could be better if you made the articles more hip. Principal Kwan."

She laughed weakly. "Make it more hip." She repeated. "I think Kwan needs to get slightly more in touch with modern society."

Sam chuckled quietly. "He wants you to make the Torch more hip. What's cooler than meteor freaks?"

"You know Kwan hates me." Chloe told him. "He wants me to make the Torch more about the students and less about real life."

Sam nodded, rolling his eyes. "People like to believe there isn't anything strange out there."

Chloe nodded in agreement. "Well, what should I do?" she asked. "I suppose I should go along with it for now. What should I write about?"

Sam frowned, smiling down at Chloe and pulling her closer.

*

"What's your deepest desire?" Chloe read from a clipboard, the title written in Sam's writing. She glanced up at Clark and Pete with a grin. "I mean, if nothing was holding you back, what would you guys do?"

Clark's eyes widened. "Hello, Chloe." He greeted. "Nice to see you too."

Chloe nodded, smiling. "Principal Kwan thinks that I need to get more in touch with the pulse of the student body. So I've decided to do a poll." She told them, holding the clipboard out to them. "Now, if you would both please do your statistical duty."

Pete grinned at her, looking around. A lecherous smirk spread across his face as a fellow freshman walked past them.

"I'd go and make out with that girl right now."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "You know, every answer I've gotten so far has been either sex or violence related."

Pete smirked. "Well, that's just human nature, Chloe. Later."

He walked away from Chloe, leaving her alone with Clark. Clark grabbed her arm, turning her round to him. "Did you know that Pete doesn't like Lex?" Clark asked.

Chloe looked at Clark, amazed. "Yeah, he's totally jealous of your friendship with him." Chloe told him. "He feels like you guys aren't as close as you used to be."

Clark frowned. "He feels the same about the Winchester's."

Chloe grimaced.

"Hey."

They turned, seeing Lana standing near them. She smiled at the two of them, her gaze flickering to the metal clipboard. "Hi." Chloe replied. "What about you, Lana?" she said, showing her the clipboard. "Got one?"

Lana frowned, reading the poll. "Whoever wrote that has really neat writing." Lana said.

Chloe nodded, shooting Clark a confused glance. "That was Sam." She told her. "And, Lana, deepest desire?"

"Um," Lana looked at Clark nervously. "Well, I'd like to climb the windmill down on Chandler's field."

"Really?" Chloe asked, eyes wide. "That's your deepest desire?"

"Somebody told me you could see the Metropolis skyline from there." Lana told them, a longing gaze in her eyes. "I don't have the guts to climb up and see for myself."

"Okay."

"I can always make something up." Lana said, scowling.

"No, it's good, it's good." Chloe told her. "I like it. It's unleashing the inner Lana."

Lana nodded, walking away. Chloe wrote it down, turning to Clark expectantly. "Okay, Clark. You're up." She frowned when she followed Clark's stare to Lana's retreating figure. "Clark, remember, it's a PG-13 poll."

Clark turned to Chloe, grinning. "Ever since Whitney's father's been in the hospital, there's been a no-fly zone with Lana."

Chloe rolled her eyes, exasperated. "You know, Clark, there are other girls out there that don't require crossing an emotional minefield."

"Yeah," Clark said, frowning. "But I can't just turn off my feelings for her."

Chloe grimaced. "You know, the choice is yours." She snapped. "You can either sit in your loft and play with your telescope, or move on."

*

Chloe slammed the door behind her, striding into the living room and collapsing next to Sam.

"How did the poll go?" Sam asked. "Any good desires?"

She rolled her eyes, digging through her bag and passing the poll over to him. "No, I mean, Lana's deluded enough to believe that if she climbs up a fifteen metre windmill she'll be able to see the Metropolis Skyline."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Leave it to Barbie."

Chloe laughed slightly. "Yeah." Her phone rang and she reached for it, leaning past Sam to reach her phone. "Clark? What's wrong? What?" Chloe looked up at Sam with wide-eyes. "Do you want me to come and see you? Well, I'll see you tomorrow...what?...Well, I hope you're alright. Bye."

Sam watched her as Chloe frowned at the phone. "What's wrong?" he repeated.

"Clark's dad's in hospital." She told him. "He's in some sort of Anaphylactic shock. The doctors have only seen one other case like this."

Sam looked up at her, his eyebrows furrowed with concern. "Can they treat him?"

"The only other person with these symptoms was brought in this morning." She told them, worried. "They don't have a clue _how_ to treat it. Mr Kent brought the guy in after almost crashing into him. The man flipped off the road."

Dean nodded. "Where?"

*

Chloe winced when Dean pulled her aside by the arm, glaring. "Why did Barbie have to come along?" he asked.

Chloe laughed, glancing over as Lana slid out of the back of the Impala. "She's just as worried as me."

Sam strode over to join them, looking up at the night sky before squinting at their surroundings. "What are we looking for?"

Chloe shrugged, adjusting her camera and preparing to start searching.

"Okay, uh, what are we doing here?" Lana asked, appearing to Dean's left.

"She's just as worried as me." Dean mocked under his breath in a high-pitched voice, sniggering at Chloe's glare.

"Well, Mr Kent and Mr Beales have the same symptoms." Chloe reminded Lana, frowning when Lana's eyes widened. "So this is the only place they've been together, so I'm assuming whatever happened to Mr Kent was caused by something out here."

Lana nodded slightly, glancing round the dark road nervously. "What are we looking for?"

"Anything." Chloe answered, ignoring how Lana's face fell. "I mean, the debris starts from way over there and ends over in that ditch."

Dean winced, stepping gingerly over some metal and bending down. "This is some serious road rage."

Chloe agreed, wrapping her hand round Sam's and pulling him over to the other side of the accident scene. They walked round, Chloe occasionally leaning down to take a picture. She frowned, bending down to run her fingers over a piece of scrap metal, wincing at the devastation.

"I think I found something!"

They turned, hearing Lana's voice, and began to make their way towards her. Dean was doing the same, pushing through branches to reach Lana. She was knelt on the floor, hunched over slightly. She turned, eyes wide when she heard their footsteps.

"What you got?" Chloe asked, stooping beside her friend.

Lana frowned, raising a scorched hula doll up from beside her. "Sorry."

Dean groaned, ripping the doll from her hand, examining it, and tossing it away. "Useless." he muttered to Sam, but Lana heard, glaring at him.

Chloe noticed, placing a hand on Lana's shoulder. "It's all right. Let's get out of here. This place is a dead end." Sam nodded, leading Chloe back to the Impala, Lana traipsing behind them. Dean got into the driver's seat, scowling as Lana attempted to sit next to him. Chloe winced, pulling her friend away and towards the back seats. Lana grimaced, wrinkled her nose up, and then sneezed. "Bless you."

*

Chloe stood behind Whitney, annoyed as he leant down to the drinks fountain slowly. She grimaced, wishing he would hurry up, when suddenly the school burst into whispers and the crowd parted. Chloe frowned, looking through the clearing to see Lana standing at the end of the hall, hands on her hips. She was wearing a tight, black vest with a short skirt of the same colour. She was even dressed in knee-high black boots.

Chloe rolled her eyes as Whitney looked slowly up from the fountain, his jaw dropping slightly before he smirked. Lana grinned, strutting down the hallway to stand in front of her boyfriend, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Wow." Whitney whispered, oblivious to how Chloe stepped round him to get her drink. "What's the occasion?"

Lana smiled seductively, pulling Whitney down for a short kiss. Chloe gagged slightly, frowning at how close the couple were to her.

"Nothing." she murmured up to Whitney, and Chloe was sure she was the only one who could hear. "I just thought we'd blow off class, today."

Whitney smiled, but it quickly changed into a regretful scowl. "I can't." he mumbled, staring intently at Lana. "I'm barely keeping ahead. Then I have to go to the store, and then run by the hospital to see my dad."

Lana pouted, pressing one finger to Whitney's chest and pushing him away. "You know what?" she snapped, her voice low. "I'm tired of your _excuses._ Ever since your dad got sick, you haven't been any fun at all."

She made to strut away, but Whitney gently wrapped his hand round her wrist, keeping her back. Chloe had straightened up, one of the few still interested in what was going on. Leaning back against the wall, she watched, curious as Lana's eyes narrowed into slits and her lip curled.

"I'm sorry, Lana." Whitney begged. "But it's kind of a big deal."

"Whatever." Lana snarled. "I feel like I'm locked in this relationship out of guilt."

Whitney winced, eyes widening in shock. "Lana, what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." she answered. "I'm just not keeping it inside anymore."

Whitney released her wrist, his arms falling limply to his side. "Well, if that's the way you feel…" he said reluctantly, and Chloe frowned at how lost he sounded. "Maybe we need to reconsider this relationship."

Lana grinned, satisfied. "Okay, fine." she said, raising her voice and drawing attention back to her and her boyfriend. "It's over, Whitney."

She stalked away, and Chloe cringed at the way Whitney slumped, rejected, as the school immediately began to gossip.

"You're lucky I don't have such a great reputation for my gossip column." she said, grinning as Whitney looked at her. "Then again, at the speed this is spreading, writing about this would be obsolete by the time tomorrow rolled around."

Whitney stared mutely at her before gaping slightly. "You wouldn't…"

"You're right." she replied, smiling. "But I do have some advice."

Whitney stared at her, slightly shocked. "What would that be?" he asked warily.

"Firstly, stop trying to win the Oscar for 'Best Wounded Soldier Act' and then get yourself a math tutor, pass your algebra test, see your dad and move on."

Whitney gaped, blinked furiously, and then trudged away.

*

Chloe looked up from the computer when she heard someone clearing their throat. Clark was leaning in the doorway, dressed in a regulation gym kit, his hair dripping. His eyes were wide and he was grinning like a moron.

"Clark?" Chloe asked, raising her eyebrows. "Why are you so...wet?" Clark just squeaked and rushed over to her desk, perching on the end. She grimaced. "Clark...paper." she warned, fumbling through her desk to find a towel. "Here. Now stop dripping."

Clark ran the towel through his hair, then turned to Chloe. "Lana took me to the school pool, stripped to her underwear, kissed me, pushed me in the pool and then left me to be found by Principal Kwan."

Chloe's jaw dropped. "I'm assuming that _you_ didn't strip to your underwear." Clark just glared at her, so Chloe sniggered. "She just stripped down in front of you? Lana Lang in all her glory."

"Most of her glory." Clark corrected, his eyes glazing over for a brief second before he scowled. "Not that Kwan saw it."

Chloe smiled when Clark handed her a small, yellow detention slip. She winced. "Well, at least, you'll have a nice picture to daydream about in Saturday Detention."

Clark rolled his eyes. "It was weird." He exclaimed. "She said everything I ever wanted to hear, but it didn't seem like she knew what she was doing."

"Well, what do you think made Lana Lang go soft-core?" Chloe asked, turning away from Clark when a picture from the crash-sight appeared on her screen.

Clark grimaced. "First my dad, now Lana."

Chloe glanced up at Clark, worried. She remembered what Clark had told her – he had caught Jonathan storming through Smallville with a shotgun in hand, more than ready to shot an employee from the savings and loan.

"Don't forget that Beales guy." Chloe said, turning back to the screen. "Remember the one your dad helped?"

Clark frowned, slipping off the desk and leaning round to see what she was looking at. "You must have missed something at the crash site." Clark murmured. "That's the only connection. Are you sure the Winchesters didn't see anything?"

"No, I didn't, because I was there and Sam, Dean and I are all fine."

Clark grimaced. "It just doesn't make any sense."

Chloe nodded, focusing on the photo in front of her, frowning at the dark shape she could see behind the dark trees. "Wait." She muttered, feeling Clark lean closer to her. She pointed at the silhouette, scrolling in to look closer. "Looks like we weren't the only ones there."

"Who is that?"

Chloe enlarged the picture further, eyes widening in recognition. "I think it's Dr Hamilton."

"The meteor freak?" Clark asked, watching as Chloe nodded. "What's he doing scoping around in the woods?"

"I don't know." Chloe admitted. "But I have a feeling it's not just a coincidence. I'm going go talk to him."

Clark nodded, reaching for Chloe's hand. "I'm going to go look for Lana. I think whatever happened to my father, is about to happen to her." He told her. "Chloe, be careful around Dr Hamilton. Maybe you can take the Winchesters along."

*

Dean nudged Sam and he looked up, smiling when he saw Chloe striding into the Talon. She spotted them, grinned and walked over. Gently, she pushed Sam along the sofa and sat next to him.

"Glad there's finally a decent coffee shop." Dean said, smirking. "Not entirely sure why there's an Egyptian theme."

Chloe smiled when the waitress approached. "I'm alright." She told her, ignoring the Winchester's incredulous looks. "Do you want to come with me to speak to Dr Hamilton?"

Dean frowned, but Sam nodded. "Who's Dr Hamilton?"

Just as Chloe was about to answer, Lana stalked into the coffee shop. The Winchester's stared at her in astonishment, frowning at the tight top and trousers she was wearing. She caught sight of Dean, winking slowly and pouting. Dean grimaced, turning away from Lana and shooting Chloe a confused look.

"Be thankful she's not naked." Chloe whispered, grinning as Sam and Dean exchanged a shocked glance. "I should probably talk to her."

She made to push out the chair, but the waitress reached Lana first, standing in front of her. "Lana, where have you been?" the Waitress whispered and Chloe grimaced. "Monique called in sick and we haven't got anyone to cover."

Lana shook her head and Chloe groaned. "Do I have to have the front seat for the Lana show?"

Lana sighed, placing a hand on her hip. "Why is this my problem?"

"Because Nell's in Metropolis and you're the assistant manager." The waitress replied, looking down, slightly frightened.

"Well, I'm taking the afternoon off." Lana snapped, turning to the customers. "So I guess we're closing early. Listen up!" Everyone in the coffee shop turned to Lana. "We're closing early, so coffee's on the house. Drink up!"

Everyone exchanged confused looks, while Chloe just swore. Dean raised an eyebrow. "Chloe!" he exclaimed jokingly.

"If I had known this was coming, I wouldn't have said no to a coffee." She told them. "It's times like this when I wish I could see the future." Chloe reached forward, taking Sam's coffee and drinking from it. She grinned at him as he gaped at her. "You can always get a new one, it's free."

Lex Luthor seemed to be less pleased about the free coffee, getting up from his hidden seat and stalking over to Lana. She saw the bald man, reached behind the counter and grabbed the whipped cream, spraying it onto her fingers and licking it off slowly. Lex watched, before shaking his head slightly.

"Lana, the Talon closes at nine." He drawled.

"Not today."

"You're not impressing anyone with this attitude, Lana." Lex snarled. "You're talking to someone who set the bar for adolescent rebellion."

Lana's lip curled as she stared at the young billionaire. "That's right." She whispered "I hear you were quite the bad boy before you joined us here in Smallville."

It's nothing I'm proud of."

"Please." She murmured into his ear. "You don't really care about the Talon. You only invested because I asked you to." She smirked, running a hand up Lex's chest. Chloe shot an amused look at Sam as Lana stepped closer to Lex. "Now why would you go do a thing like that? Hmm?"

Lex glanced down at Lana, but she looked away, taking hold of the whipped cream once again and again, spraying it onto her finger. She licked it off slowly, then raised her finger to Lex's lips, trailing it down so that he had a small amount of whipped cream down his lips.

"The Luthors are famous for their ulterior motives." She whispered, reaching up so her lips were brushing his ear. Chloe's eyes were wide at how Lana was acting. "So tell me, Lex. Was it really about profit?"

Lex swallowed, grabbing Lana's hand and moving it away from his stomach. "I'm not sure what this is," he drawled. "But it isn't you, Lana. Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"Actually, I'm a little nervous." She said, pouting. "I might need some guidance. You know, from someone with a little more experience. What do you say, boss?"

Lex's eyes widened as she press herself up against him. "Lana, where have you been in the last 24 hours?"

She growled, stepping away from him. "It's none of your business. What's your problem?"

"This isn't you."Lex stated firmly.

"Why?" she snapped. "Because I'm not doing exactly as I'm told? Because I'm not sitting in a corner, hiding in a book? For once, I'm not scared of life, and no one can handle it because you all prefer the insecure little girl. Well, I'm sick of her and all her talk about her dead parents."

Lex started towards her but Lana knocked his hands away, picking up a coffee mug and throwing it at his head. Lex ducked, straightening up as Lana ran away, pausing for a second to wink at Dean one more time, before slamming the door behind her.

Chloe looked at Dean, speechless. Dean was pale, looking worriedly from Chloe to his brother. Sam smirked.

"She seems to like you." Sam joked, while Dean grimaced. "I wouldn't tell Clark."

Dean rolled his eyes. "What's wrong with her?"

Chloe frowned. "I think it's the same as what happened to Jonathan."

Sam stood up. "We should follow her." He said, reaching his hand out for Chloe's. "We don't want her falling into a coma halfway to Metropolis."

Chloe nodded, then her eyes widened and she frowned. "I can't."

Sam looked at her, confused. "What?"

"I have to go meet someone. See if you can find her and then take her to hospital."

Sam smiled. "Alright. I'll call you."

Chloe strode out the Talon, while Dean turned to Sam with a glare. "Really, Sammy?" he asked. "Do you think I want to spend my day looking for Lang?"

*

The barn door opened with a creak and Chloe looked in. The room was bathed with a meteor green light, but the only light source was a small desktop lamp. Dr Hamilton sat beside it, prodding at a small meteor with a scalpel.

"Dr Hamilton?" Chloe said quietly, waiting for him to look up at her before she continued. "Hi. I'm Chloe Sullivan, from the Smallville Torch. We spoke a few times on the internet about the meteor rocks."

Dr Hamilton stared at her intently. "Yes...Chloe."

Chloe fidgeted, uncomfortable, but removed a picture from her bag and showed it to the scientist. "Well, um, can you tell me what you were doing out in the woods last night?"

"What I do most nights." Hamilton said nonchalantly, but Chloe felt slightly unnerved by his twisted smile. "Search for meteor samples. I find it easier to spot them with a flashlight."

"So you didn't see me and my friends?"

"I heard voices. I saw flashlights." Hamilton admitted, his gaze dark as he stared at Chloe. "I know kids like to party, and as you know, I don't like company!"

Chloe swallowed. "So you weren't there looking over the accident scene?"

"What accident?"

He continued to stare at Chloe until she could no longer hold his gaze, glancing at his desk instead. On the table lay a battered copy of 'The Nicodemus Diaries', a few pages marked by folded pages. Chloe looked back up when the doctor cleared his throat.

"I must be mistaken." Chloe said, quickly. "Sorry to have bothered you."

"And what were you doing in the woods last night?" Hamilton asked, suspicious.

Chloe smirked. "Partying with my friends."

*

Someone stumbled onto the road, and Dean cursed, pressing down on the brake and pulling down to a stop. Sam frowned, opening the door and getting out, eyes wide when he realised it was Clark holding an unconscious Lana.

"What happened?" he asked. "Is she alright?"

Clark looked up at Sam, then at the Impala and Dean scowling in the front seat. "Do you mind taking her to the medical centre?" Clark asked. "Lana needs help."

Sam shot a quick glance at his brother before nodding. "Sure, I'll help you get her into the backseat." Dean grimaced as Sam helped Clark gently place Lana into the front seat, before turning to the freshman. "Do you need us to take you with us?"

Clark stared at Lana for a few seconds before shaking his head. "I'm fine. I need to call Lex and tell him to pick his car up from Chandler's field." He told Sam. "I'll meet you at the medical centre."

"How will you get to the medical centre?" Sam asked, exchanging a small smile with his brother. "You don't seem to have a car."

"No, my truck's in Chandler's field with Lex's Porsche." He told them. "I won't be long."

Clark nodded at them, jogging away from Sam and Dean. Sam turned away, closing the back door before returning to his seat.

"Is he still running?" Dean asked, pressing down on the ignition.

Sam turned round, rolling his eyes. "No, he's vanished. I'll call Chloe and we'll meet her at the hospital."

"You know, Sam, I'm not happy with having Barbie in my car for the second time this week." Dean said, smirking at his brother. "My baby deserves better."

*

"Sam? I need you to look into something."

"Nice to see you too." Dean said, looking up from where he was leaning against the wall. "What do you want?"

"Dean." Chloe smiled. "Nice to see you by Lana's bedside."

Dean grimaced. "What do you want?"

Chloe frowned, turning to face Sam instead. "I was wondering if you could look into something for me?" she asked. "I was hoping you could use your student card to get into Metropolis University library and look for a copy of 'The Nicodemus Diaries'"

Dean groaned. "It's a three-hour drive to Metropolis."

Chloe turned to Dean. "You drive all over America and you're bothered about three hours? I figured you'd prefer to help save the day rather than sit by Lana's bedside."

Dean seemed to realise what she was talking about, casting a disgusted look at Lana. "You're right. Sam, get your library card, we're going to Metropolis."

Sam grinned. "We'll be back tonight." He told her, then paused, staring at Lana. "But we were told we couldn't leave until her Aunt Nell came."

"Hasn't Clark been yet?" Chloe asked.

Dean groaned. "More than once. But Sam insists we don't leave."

"I'll stay with Lana until Nell arrives." Chloe suggested. "Clark's just having to split time between Lana and Jonathan."

Dean didn't even give Sam time to smile at Chloe, already dragging his brother out the hospital.

"Nicodemus Diaries, remember." Chloe called after them, sitting into Lana's bedside chair.

*

There was a knock on the door, and Gabe groaned. He closed the LuthorCorp file before standing up and going over to the door. He opened it, smiling at the now familiar view of three cars in the driveway – the Impala, Chloe's Beetle and his own Volvo. He looked round.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Mr Sullivan." Pete appeared from behind the doorframe, grinning.

"It's a bit late, isn't it?" Gabe asked. "For you to be visiting?"

"Chloe called."

Gabe should have known. He let Pete in, frowning as Clark stepped into the doorway and followed his best friend in.

"She's in there." He told them, pointing through to the living room. "With Sam and Dean."

Pete growled slightly, but walked through with Clark into the room. Chloe looked up from her seat right next to Sam and grinned at her friends. She reached forwards, picking up an old book and tossing it over to them.

"Dr Hamilton had a copy of this book." She told them.

"The Nicodemus Diary." Clark read, shooting Chloe a confused glance.

"It's a first-hand account of Smallville's first mystery." She said excitedly. "In 1871, the whole settlement went postal before they even had a post-office."

Pete grimaced, walking over to sit next to Chloe. "Nice to know Smallville was still whacked before the meteors got here."

"Yeah." Chloe laughed. "In the diary, they talked about a flower. The settlers called it the Nicodemus. Said it liberated repressed feelings, sent them into rages, then fever, and finally...well..."

"All right." Clark said, his voice trembling. "Where can we find this flower?"

"Well, see, that's the glitch." Chloe admitted, looking away as Clark's face fell. "After the massacre, the cavalry torched the whole settlement. They wanted to make sure that whatever caused it wasn't going to spread. The flower's been extinct for over a hundred years."

"Well, what does Hamilton have to do with it?" Clark asked. "Isn't he a geologist?"

"With a meteor fixation." Chloe said, reaching for Sam's bag and digging through it. "Sam found this paper Hamilton wrote six years ago."

She handed the paper to Clark, who read the title page interestedly. "Metropolis University Press?"

"I think this is the last straw."

"In it, Hamilton postulates that meteor rock can be used to irradiate dormant plant cells." Sam told them. Chloe turned to him. "I read it on the three-hour trip home."

Chloe grinned, watching as Clark frowned. "So you think Hamilton pulled a Jurassic Park and brought back the Nicodemus?" he asked.

"Now he's trying to cover it up." Pete continued.

"Let's go talk to him."

"Wait, there's more." Chloe stated, stopping Clark. "Sam found out that it wasn't Dr Hamilton who checked out the book. Lex did."

Pete grimaced. "I knew all along he was bad news."

"Pete," Clark said, scowling. "We don't know anything yet. Now, I'm going to go talk to Lex."

Chloe nodded. "Yeah. Pete and I will go see Hamilton."

"Wait a second." Dean interrupted, frowning at Chloe. "Do you think we're going to let you go and talk to some weirdo?"

Chloe stared at them. "Chloe." Sam said, standing up and reaching for a torch. "We'll come with you."

"Isn't it too late to go and see someone?" Pete asked, nervously. "He could be sleeping."

"That's why we're bringing a torch." Chloe said.

She turned to where Clark was, but he had vanished. "Well...bye?" she murmured, leading Pete out to the Impala.

*

Chloe slowly opened the barn door, making sure it didn't creak. No one was there, so Chloe pushed it ajar. She stepped inside first, her torch pointed towards the floor. Sam and Dean went in next, eyes widening at the various scientific instruments scattered throughout the room. Pete entered last, tripping in the doorway.

Chloe grimaced. "Okay, Pete, keep your flashlight low."

Pete raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so you're an expert on breaking and entering now?"

Pete stumbled, knocking over a broom and wincing as it crashed to the floor.

"Pete!" Chloe hissed. "Be careful!"

Chloe moved over to the far side of the barn, Sam and Dean close behind her. Pete, however, had wandered over to a large table at the centre. A mysterious cluster on the table was covered with tarpaulin. Pete stared at it, before attempting to smoothly pull the tarp away.

Chloe whipped round, hearing glass shatter on the floor. "Pete, what happened?" She walked over to the table, frowning at the glass cylinders containing what she guessed was the Nicodemus flower. One cylinder lay smashed on the floor, the wilted flower lying still. "Pete? You okay?"

Sam ran over to Chloe, looking around for Pete, while Dean covered the cylinders with the tarp once more. Just as Sam stepped in front of Chloe, as if protecting her, she felt a sharp tap on her shoulder.

"You looking for me?"

Chloe spun round, eyes widening as Pete smirked maliciously at her. "Pete?" she whispered, flinching as his smirk grew. "Oh no."

Sam had also turned round, watching as Pete stepped close to Chloe. Chloe whimpered quietly, stepping away from Pete, her back pressing against Sam's chest. Sam gulped, but manage to glare at Pete.

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" Pete murmured, stepping even closer to Chloe.

She couldn't move back, but she was shaking slightly. Sam exchanged a worried glance with Dean as Pete reached forward, caressing her cheek.

"Stop it." Snarled Sam, but Pete just growled at him. "She doesn't want you to do that."

"Okay, Pete." Chloe said, worried. Sam gazed down at her, concerned. "You've been infected. We've got to get you to the hospital."

Chloe stepped away from Sam, running over to the door, but Pete chased her. Dean grabbed Pete's jacket, stopping him.

"Chloe." Dean said. "I'll take Pete to the hospital. You stay with Sam until Pete's safe."

Pete grimaced. "That's right." He snarled. "Ignore Pete. Pete's just the funny guy. You don't have to sweat about Pete, because you only care about Clark and the Winchesters."

"Calm down, Pete." Chloe whispered, frightened. "I'm going to call Clark."

Chloe reached into her bag for her phone but Pete lunged, pulling away from Dean's grasp and grabbing Chloe's mobile, tossing it across the room.

"He's probably hanging out with his new best friend, Lex Luthor." Pete turned away, searching through the desk. When he turned back round, he was gripping a pistol tightly in his hand. He raised it, pointing it at Chloe. "Give me the keys!"

"Why?" Chloe cried, trembling. "Where are you going?"

He readied the gun. "I'm serious, Chloe. Give me the damn keys!"

Pete's finger hovered over the trigger and Chloe sobbed. Sam glanced at his brother, then ran to Dean, grabbing the Impala keys from Dean's pocket and passing them to Pete. Pete dangled them from his finger.

Pete shoved Chloe out the way, striding out the barn. Dean stood still for a second, before followed Pete, cursing as the Impala was driven away from Hamilton's barn. Dean turned to Sam, furious.

"Why the hell did you give him the keys?" he snarled.

Chloe seemed to realise what had just happened, slumping slightly and running over to Sam, wrapping her arms round him and sniffling.

"What are we going to do now?" Sam asked.

"I'm going after my car." Dean told them, staring down the road.

Chloe raised her head to exchange an incredulous glance with Sam. "I'll take Chloe back to Smallville." Sam told Dean. "We'll hitchhike – it's not long from here to Smallville."

"I'm getting my car back." Dean said. "I wouldn't trust him with her on a normal day, nevermind when he's infected."

"The Luthor Mansions on the other side of Smallville, Dean." Chloe told Dean, turning round in Sam's arms.

Dean raised an eyebrow. "It's _Small_ville."

Sam rolled his eyes. "And it was named hundreds of years ago."

"Come with us to the hospital." Chloe said, looking up at the brothers. "We need to talk to Clark."

*

Chloe watched through the window as Clark pulled his mother into a hug, his father lying in the hospital bed next to them. Chloe raised her eyes, wincing as she saw how long had passed since Pete had left them in Hamilton's barn.

She knocked on the door, opening it slightly as Clark turned round. "I'm sorry, Mrs Kent. Can I talk to you for a second, Clark?"

Clark nodded, releasing his mother and following Chloe out the room. He saw the Winchester's sitting in the waiting room, Dean frowning. He smiled at them, turning back to Chloe.

"I'm so sorry." She said, looking away from Clark. "I found the Nicodemus flower in the barn. One got Pete and he took a really quick turn to scary."

"Where did he go?"

"He grabbed a gun and said he was going after Lex."

Clark grimaced. "It's okay, Chloe. I'll stop him."

"How?"

"Just look after my mom, will you? And Lana?"

Chloe nodded, leaving Clark to join the Winchester's in the waiting room. When she turned back around, Clark had vanished.

*

The stretcher ran quickly past Chloe and the Winchesters, and they straightened when they saw Clark following the doctors. Chloe stood up, able to see Pete disappearing round a corner.

"Is he alright?" Chloe asked, worried. Clark turned round. "Is Lex alright?"

"They're fine." Clark told her, smiling. "And Lex has commissioned the antidote to be produced. It should be here in a few hours. It's only a herbal remedy."

Chloe sighed in relief. Dean stepped in front of her, grimacing at Clark. "Did you get my car?"

"Was I supposed to bring your car?" Clark said, shooting Chloe a confused glance. "Why don't you have your car?"

"Pete took it." Dean snarled. "And if you didn't drive Pete back, how did you get him here?"

Clark paled. "I brought the truck."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Well, I'll go get it." He told them. "I can walk."

"Are you sure?" Chloe said, drawing everyone's attention to her. "Clark can drive you in the truck."

If possible, Clark went even whiter. Dean looked at Clark, then at Sam. "It's alright. I can walk."

Sam watched, confused as Dean strode out the hospital. Chloe shared a puzzled look with Sam, turning back to Clark. "I'm glad everyone's going to be alright." She said, leaning back into Sam. Clark frowned, reaching out for Chloe's hand. "What do you think is going to happen to Hamilton?"

Clark clenched Chloe's hand in hers, smiling as Chloe raised her eyes to his. "I couldn't have done any of this without you." He told her. "If you hadn't spoken to Hamilton, or visited the crash-site, then my dad would still be in trouble."

Chloe smiled, embarrassed. "If I hadn't gone to the crash-site, Lana wouldn't be in hospital right now."

"But Chloe, Lana and Pete may be here, but we can cure it. If you hadn't helped me, my dad would be like Beales."

Clark released her hand, striding down the hospital corridors towards his father's room.

*

Chloe stared up at the barn, turning to back to the Impala and signalling to the Winchester's that they should just stay in the car. She pushed it, and it opened easily, the door unlocked.

She walked inside, eyes widening as she looked round the room. The furniture was gone, the barn looking as if it had never been inhabited by anyone.

"Dr Hamilton?" she called. "Hello?"

There was no reply and Chloe walked into the middle of the barn. She glanced round the room, amazed at the dust lying on the floor.

She grimaced, not entirely sure how to react to Hamilton's disappearance.

"Chloe?" She whirled round, smiling when she saw the Winchester's in the doorway. "Where's he gone?"

"Another thing to learn about Smallville." She said. "Everything can be covered up, even irradiated evil flowers."

Dean frowned. "And they cover up well. It looks like there was never anything here."

Chloe nodded. "Can I drive?"

Dean shook his head, smirking. "No. You're not old enough."

"Hey, I can drive." She protested.

Sam smiled at Chloe and his brother, laughing when Dean dangled the keys just out of Chloe's reach. "Give it up, Chloe." Dean teased. "You're never driving my baby."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading and please review.**


	16. Stray

**I'd like to thank the lonly shephard, Carol Alves and blaker316 for reviewing. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

Stray

"So, I got you a present." Chloe said, grinning as she handed Sam a thin, wrapped parcel. "But it's not much as Dean didn't tell me it was your birthday until this morning."

Sam snorted, reaching over to take the present and then pulling Chloe down next to him on the sofa. "Don't worry, Chloe." Sam said, not opening the present, just staring down at it. "I like how you've wrapped it in old issues of the Daily Planet." Chloe giggled and then shot him an expectant look and Sam smirked at her, ripping the paper off. He frowned. "Warrior Angel?"

Chloe smiled widely."I went present-shopping with Dean."

Sam grimaced. "So I assume you saw what he got me."

Chloe raised her eyebrows. "Yeah. Personally, I'd have preferred chocolate." She watched as Sam flicked through the comic. "Dean's told me you're a nerd so many times, so I figured you'd like it."

Sam smiled at her. "I haven't read one of these before." He told Chloe. "Why did you get me this one?"

Chloe laughed. "Well, I have no idea about comics, but I thought 'Warrior Angel' looked like Lex Luthor."

Sam snorted. "Chloe, just because he's bald doesn't mean he looks like Lex." Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Okay, so maybe he does."

"Happy birthday." She murmured, snuggling into Sam's side just as Dean walked into the room.

Dean smirked at his brother. "Good birthday, eh?" he said. "A magazine, a comic book and a hug from Sullivan. What more could you want?"

Chloe stuck her tongue out at Dean, smiling when he chuckled. "A cake." Chloe suggested. "And since you're family, you should go and get it."

Dean scowled, but grabbed the Impala keys off the table and exited the room.

"So are you going to read it?" Chloe asked, oblivious to how Sam was watching her. "Sounds exciting."

Sam turned the comic round to read the back, smiling down at Chloe. "'When Darkseid infiltrates the slums of Megalopolis, it's up to Warrior Angel and intrepid reporter Penelope to prevent Crisis. Find out more in COUNTDOWN TO CRISIS!'

Sam flipped the comic open, smiling at the coloured pages as Chloe moved even close to him in order to read with him.

"Thanks for the present." He murmured as he watched Chloe mumbling as she read the captions. "I love it."

*

Sam looked up from the Smallville Ledger when Chloe stepped into the lounge.

"I thought you were supposed to be meeting Clark today." Sam stated. "Weren't you going shopping?"

"I was going to see if I could persuade Clark to drive me into Metropolis." Chloe sighed, slumping next to him. "But his family are looking after a little kid and Clark wants to spend time with him."

She sighed again and Sam watched her, standing up. "If you want Chloe, I'll take you shopping."

Chloe's eyes widened. "Really?"

Sam shrugged, reaching for her hand and pulling her up from the sofa. He then led her out the house, holding the door open for her to slide into the Impala. "Dean will figure out we've taken it eventually."

Chloe giggled as the Impala pulled away from the sidewalk. Grinning up at Sam, she texted a quick explanation to Dean before turning away to gaze out the window. Sam watched her for a few seconds before focussing on the road.

For a few miles, there was silence and Sam was considering turning on the music, but then Chloe cleared her throat.

"I used to live in Metropolis, you know." she said, her attention focussed on a road sign. "But we moved when Dad quit his job and got hired by LuthorCorp. He used to be away for ages at a time, but when Mom left…" Chloe swallowed. "…he decided he had to be around more."

"What was his job?" Sam asked, knowing that Gabe was once a hunter.

"Some sort of travelling salesman." she told him, and Sam raised his eyebrows at what Gabe had told his daughter. "I told him he didn't have to stop and that I would be fine by myself, but he said the pay was better."

"He's plant manager, isn't he?" Sam asked. "Of course the pay was better."

"Not when we moved. When we moved he was a run-of-the-mill employee. It was bad enough that Mom had just vanished, but then we had to leave all our friends and come to Smallville."

"Did you ever see your Mom again?"

Chloe swallowed, staring down at her knees. "No. I can't find her, and.." she laughed. "I mean, it's not like she's even tried to contact me, so why should I bother, right?"

Sam grimaced, removing one hand from the steering wheel to hold her hand. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

Chloe smiled weakly, facing the window once again as Metropolis began to loom in the distance. "It got better though." she murmured, blinking furiously when Sam turned to look at her. "I mean, I met Clark and Pete."

Sam smiled at her as they drove into Metropolis, his smile changing into a frown when he noticed the bleakness of the city.

Chloe smirked at him. "Metropolis isn't known for its brightness, Sam. It's known for its skyscrapers – LuthorCorp, Queen Towers and of course, the Daily Planet."

She pointed upwards, and Sam followed the line of her finger to the two skyscrapers in front of them. One had the large word 'LuthorCorp' emblazoned across the top, whilst the other had a spinning golden globe balanced on the top.

Sam frowned. "What's that?"

Chloe glanced at him, then stared at the large skyscraper that dwarfed even the LuthorCorp building. "I have no idea." she said, frowning. "It's always been here."

Sam grinned when he spotted a parking place, pulling over. Chloe leapt out the car, Sam walking round to stand by her.

"Well, I need to go shopping." Chloe stated, smiling at Sam. "Then, can we visit the Daily Planet?"

Sam nodded. Chloe grinned, linking her arm with Sam's and pulling him down a small alley. They finally drew to a stop in front of a small shop that seemed to be selling all sorts of clothes.

"One of the only second-hand stores in Metropolis." Chloe told Sam. "I can get nice clothes for half the price."

She tugged Sam inside then let go, running over to examine one rail of dresses. Sam raised an eyebrow. Chloe didn't wear dresses often, so he hadn't imagined that it would be the first place she would head to. She noticed him staring, and smiled.

Sam turned away to rifle through a pile of shirts, glancing back in time to see Chloe holding a strapless, dark pink dress next to her body and grin.

Chloe felt Sam watching her and blushed, putting the dress back and heading over to the back of store, gathering up some trousers and tops before heading in to the fitting rooms with one final glance at the dress.

Sam frowned as his phone rang, and he answered it, immediately hearing the angry voice of his brother.

"Sammy, where's the Impala gone?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Chloe texted you almost 4 hours ago, and it took you this long to figure out that it had vanished?" He smirked. "Are you ill?"

"I was at the Talon."

"Why?" Sam asked, confused. "Did you want to see Lana?"

Dean gagged. "No. But this town has finally got a decent coffee shop and I'm not giving up coffee because of Barbie."

"At this rate, you'll be paying for Lana's college." Sam joked.

"Look Sam, where are you and how fast can you get the Impala back?" Dean asked, and Sam could hear how irritated his brother was.

"We're in Metropolis." Sam admitted, hearing his brother's groan. "Chloe wants to visit the Daily Planet, then we're going to eat before we come home."

"So in around 6 hours?" Dean snarled.

"I'll drive fast."

Sam hung up as Chloe stepped out the dressing room, clothes balanced over her arm. She walked past him, standing at the counter, a few bags in front of her. She beamed at Sam, who walked over and took the bags, leading her out the shop and watching as, once again, she looked back at the dress.

"If you want the dress, why didn't you try it on?" Sam asked, placing the bags in the backseat of the Impala.

Chloe flushed, turning away from Sam to gaze up at the golden globe of the Daily Planet. "I didn't want the dress, Sam." she said. "You know, I don't wear dresses."

Sam rolled his eyes. "I've seen you in a dress."

"For homecoming, it's compulsory."

Sam opened his mouth to speak, but Chloe grabbed his arm and pulled him down the street. When they reached the doors of the Daily Planet, Chloe stopped, gazing up at it. Sam watched her, smiling at the excitement on her face.

Sam reached for her hand, tugging gently so that she turned round. She looked at him, confused.

"Dean wants the Impala back, so why don't we get dinner and then go home?" Sam asked. "How about Italian?"

Chloe shot him a funny look, as if she was shocked and excited, nodding. "Just one second, okay?"

Reaching into her bag, she withdrew her camera, quickly taking a photo of the skyscraper. As she returned it to her bag, her phone started to ring. She flipped the phone open.

"Clark?"

Sam grimaced.

"You want me to come to _meet_ Ryan?" Chloe said, sounding incredulous. "Clark, I'm in Metropolis with Sam. I'm not coming back now to _meet_ Ryan." Chloe rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know that we were meant to be doing that, but you were busy." Chloe's eyes widened slightly. "Careful, Clark." she murmured, turning away so Sam could no longer see her face. "You sound jealous." Chloe was silent for a long time, listening first to Clark's bumbling protests and then to his more serious explanation as to why he wanted her to come back to Smallville. "Well, that changes things. Of course we can start heading back." she turned to Sam. "Is that alright?" Sam gaped at her, but when she smiled apologetically at him, he couldn't help but nod. "Yeah, it's fine. Dean wanted the car back anyway. So I'll see you at school?"

She hung up, turning to Sam. Sam just scowled, grabbing her arm and pulling her back to the Impala.

*

Chloe and Sam paused in the doorway of the Torch, watching as Clark told stories to the small, thin boy standing beside him. Ryan was running his fingers across the various articles and pictures pasted on the wall of weird as Clark attempted to tell him every single story.

"So, I'm assuming this is Ryan." Chloe said, and Clark whirled round. "He's taller than I expected."

Clark smiled at her, but it faded slightly when he spotted Sam standing behind her. Ryan's gaze flickered from her to Sam, and he frowned.

Chloe strode into the room. "So, Ryan's got amnesia, right?" Chloe checked.

Clark nodded. "My mom hit him on the highway, and he can't remember anything other than his name."

"Wow." Chloe said, stepping closer and looking intently at Ryan. "You're like a modern day Kaspar Hauser."

Ryan glanced up at her. "Who's that?"

"Don't worry." Clark interrupted, stepping between Chloe and the young boy. "Chloe's the queen of obscure and irrelevant references."

Chloe's mouth dropped in mock outrage. "He's a kid from the 19th century with amnesia. He showed up in a German town one day without a memory of who he was. All he could remember was his name." She shot a triumphant glance at her best friend. "How's that for irrelevant?"

"What happened to him?" Ryan asked, staring closely at Chloe.

"Well, his story spread throughout Europe and people came from all over to see if he was their missing child. Some people even thought he was the lost son of the Grand Duke."

"Did he ever find his parents?"

"You know…" Chloe stammered. "Yeah, he did. Um, he found his parents and they lived happily ever after."

Sam finally walked over to the sofa, sitting down and rolling his eyes at Chloe's miserable attempt at covering up the fact that the boy had been killed by a knife wound.

Ryan quickly shot a glance in Sam's direction, his eyes wide. "Why didn't you just say he was murdered?"

"How'd you…know that?" Chloe asked, sharing a confused look with Clark.

"You know," Clark said quickly, gently pulling Ryan away from Chloe. "Why don't we take that picture?"

"What picture?" Ryan asked, looking from Chloe to the Wall of Weird. "You're not putting me on that freak wall, are you?

"It's called the Wall of Weird, and no. This picture's just to check against missing persons." Ryan smiled weakly and Chloe raised her camera, taking the photo. "Okay, I'm going to go download this. I'll be there in a sec."

As Chloe ran over to the computer, Clark and Ryan joined Sam on the sofa. Ryan looked at Sam, then Clark.

"She likes you." Ryan said quietly, catching Sam's attention.

Clark laughed. "Yeah, we're friends."

"She wants to be more than just friends." Ryan told Clark, moving closer to the freshman when he heard a small growl come from Sam. Clark shot Sam an angry look as he turned to listen more closely to Ryan. "I think she wants you to ask her to the spring formal."

Clark chuckled, uncomfortable under Sam's furious glare. "Chloe? Yeah right."

"No, really. She already picked out a dress." Ryan enthused. "It's pink."

Sam's eyes widened as he remember the dark pink dress that Chloe kept looking at in the shop, then glanced, confused, at the young boy.

"Ryan, you just met Chloe and she hates dressed and she's not exactly the spring formal type."

Ryan snorted. "Maybe she has a romantic side that you never knew about."

"Or maybe my mom hit you harder than I thought."

Chloe looked up as Clark sniggered at his own joke, smiling at the three boys on the sofa. She raised her camera once again, stepping forward and her eyes gleaming mischievously. "Let's get a picture of my boys."

*

Dean grimaced when he saw Lana approaching him, a large coffee held in her hand. She stopped in front of him, placing the mug before him with a smile. Then she stood there, gazing down at him.

"You know, I thought Lex Luthor would hire more employees for his most recent acquisition." Dean stated, smirking as Lana's eyebrows furrowed.

"What do you mean?" she asked, sitting down opposite him. "We have loads of employees."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Really? Then why is it always you serving me?" Lana gaped. "Can I ask for another waitress?"

Lana inhaled sharply. "You're being rude." she murmured.

"You know, if you have some sort of strange crush on me, it's probably best not to serve me." He smirked. "I mean, I understand _why_ you'd like me, but I'm nothing like Whitney Fordman or Clark Kent."

She blushed and looked down. "I _don't_….I have a boyfriend."

Dean rolled his eyes, taking a sip from the coffee. "When I come in tomorrow, can someone else _please_ give me my coffee?"

Lana was silent for a few seconds, and then seemed to decide that Dean was joking and she giggled. Just as Dean was about to force her away from him, a fist rapped on the wooden table.

"Knock, knock."

They looked up, and Lana smiled up at Mr Kent then turned to the small boy standing next to him. "This is a surprise." Lana said, smiling sweetly.

"Ryan's been doing chores with me all day, so I figured he deserved a break." Jonathan said, grinning at Ryan. "I'd like a cup of coffee, give him whatever he wants, and if you can point me to the phone, I'll see if Martha wants anything."

"All right. It's in the back." Jonathan strode away and Dean grinned when Lana moved to get up. Suddenly, she focussed on Ryan, drawing up another chair and settling back down. "So, Ryan, how are you feeling today?"

"Much better." Ryan said, beaming up at Lana. "Thanks." There was an awkward silence as Ryan turned to look at Dean. "I think he'd feel much better if you left." Lana gaped at the young boy, but shook her head, giggling once again. Ryan frowned. "Dean?" Dean shot him a confused glance, unsure how Ryan knew his name. "Do you think it's okay if friends have secrets?"

Dean blinked, taken aback by the serious question from the young boy he had met less than a minute ago.

"Strange question." Lana muttered before Dean could formulate an answer. "Why do you ask?"

Ryan spun back to Lana, blushing as she smiled at him. "Because I think Clark is hiding something from me."

Dean rolled his eyes, thinking of the various abilities that Clark had shown. Ryan whirled round, his eyes widening as if Dean had spoken aloud. For a second, Dean thought he had, but Lana seemed completely oblivious.

"Everybody has secrets, Ryan." Lana said, and Dean nodded his agreement.

Ryan turned away so he wasn't facing either Lana or Dean. "Really?" he murmured. "What's yours?"

Dean scowled, unsure if Ryan was asking him or Lana. Immediately, thoughts of hunting ran through his head and Ryan shot him the same incredulous look as before.

Dean was glad when Lana started speaking. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret."

"I guess you're right." Ryan murmured.

One of the other waitresses came over to clear the table, removing the empty mugs. Lana smiled up at the employee. "Thanks Skye."

"You're welcome." muttered the girl, quickly moving away from the table.

Ryan sighed, drawing Dean and Lana's attention. "Why the frown?" Lana asked.

"She's not a good person, Lana." Ryan announced, not fazed by Lana's shocked expression. "You should fire her."

"Why would you say something like that?"

"Because it's the truth."

"How do you know?"

"It's a secret."

Lana turned to Dean, her expression amused, concerned and impressed all at the same time. Dean just grimaced, turning to stare at Ryan – was the boy psychic? Or was he just making up stories?

Ryan scowled at Dean, as if he had heard Dean's thoughts again and Dean raised an eyebrow. Psychic?

"How did you know that?" Dean repeated Lana's question.

Ryan looked at him, and opened his mouth as if ready to answer. Lana saw and leaned forward, slowly getting closer to Dean again. "Come on, Ryan." she simpered. "You can tell us."

Ryan groaned. "Lana…I don't think Dean wants you to sit with him."

Dean smirked. "He got that right."

Her eyes widened and she pushed away from the table, returning to the counter and shooting them angry glares as Dean questioned Ryan once again.

Again, Ryan prepared to answer Dean's question, trusting the eldest Winchester brother. Then he heard a loud slam of the door and Ryan's head shot up. Dean followed the stare of the young boy to a dangerous looking man standing in the doorway. Before Dean could turn back to Ryan, he had taken off, out of the back door of the Talon. Dean grimaced when the man stalked after him.

Dean made to follow, sensing that something wrong, but Clark appeared in the doorway, looking around frantically for the young boy. Clark approached Dean, looking slightly hesitant.

"Did you see a young boy…." Clark asked. "About this high? Brown hai…"

Dean rolled his eyes. "He took off in that direction. Some shifty looking man followed him."

Clark ran in the direction Dean was pointing. Dean considered following, but shrugged, knowing that if Clark was set on protecting Ryan, Ryan was sure to be safe.

*

The road was void of cars, so Chloe and Sam were fine with walking up the centre of the road, Clark in front of them. Occasionally, Clark would turn round to smile at Chloe before scanning the road again.

They were looking for Ryan's bag, which he had lost before he was hit by Martha. Clark wanted to find it so that Ryan would feel more comfortable. Chloe wanted to find it so she could discover if Ryan had any deep, dark secrets. She hadn't told Clark.

"My mom hit him somewhere around here." Clark told them, frowning as he glanced round. "Thanks for helping with the clue hunt."

"And help solve the riddle of Ryan?" Chloe grinned, kneeling down to search by the side of the road. "It's my pleasure."

"It really is a riddle." Clark admitted, looking down when Chloe glanced at him in confusion. "I'm starting to think he may not have amnesia."

"Clark, the kid adores you." Chloe reassured her friend. "Why would he lie?"

"Because he's running from someone."

Chloe paused when her hand brushed over some coarse fabric, and she grabbed it. Pulling, a red backpack fell out of bush and into Chloe's outstretched hands. "I found something." she said, standing up and unzipping the bag. "We've got comic books and Twizzlers. Something every growing boy needs."

Clark laughed, gently prying the backpack from Chloe's grip and focussing his stare on it. A few seconds later, he ripped the front pocket of the bag off, and a photo fluttered down into his hand. Chloe raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Clark said, defensive. "That's where I would hide something."

"If you were a CIA operative." Chloe stated, incredulous. "Who do you think it is?"

Her and Sam crowded round Clark so that they could see the photograph. It showed Ryan being hugged by a blonde woman.

"I don't know." Clark muttered.

"An Aunt? Mom?" Sam suggested.

Chloe grinned. "The mystery deepens." she murmured. "I still can't figure out how he knew that Kaspar Hauser was murdered."

Clark sniggered. "Well, you weren't exactly wearing a poker face." Chloe rolled her eyes as Clark turned to look at her more seriously. "Ryan does say weird things. I mean, he even said you wanted me to ask you to spring formal and that you'd already bought a dress." Chloe's eyes widened and she stepped away from Clark, burying her face in Sam's arm. Sam looked down, his expression a mixture of jealousy, shock and sadness. "It's not pink, is it?"

"Uh…okay, I-I" Chloe stammered, her voice muffled by Sam's jacket. "I was just looking at it. It's not like I actually bought it."

Clark looked at the road, his ears pink. "How would Ryan know that?"

Chloe raised her head, her face redder than Clark's ears. "I don't know. Maybe he's an alien or maybe he called Miss Cleo. You know, I don't know."

Clark chuckled weakly, turning to walk away. "Well, thanks for the help, Chloe." he muttered. "And Sam." he added. "I'll call you."

*

Chloe hung up the phone and turned back to face Sam, frowning at how he was looking down at his hands.

"Can I ask you something?" Sam asked suddenly, facing her.

Chloe sighed. "I already told you, I'm talking to my guy at the sheriff's department." Sam paused, confused at what Chloe was talking about. He shook his head, smiling as Chloe's expression changed from teasing to perplexed. "Of course you can ask me something."

"Do you really want to go to the Spring Formal with Clark?"

Chloe frowned. "Who else am I going to go with?" she asked. "Sean Kelvin?"

Sam scowled. "Ha ha, funny." he drawled.

Chloe smirked, reaching over as the fax from traffic finally finished printing. "Whoa. This man even _looks_ like a psycho."

"Chloe…"

"What?" she asked. "Look, Pete's going with Erica Fox, who he believes is the hottest girl in school, and Lana's going with Whitney. I actually have a chance with Clark. I mean," she quietened. "Who else is going to ask me? You?" Sam blushed but didn't reply. Chloe grimaced. "You're far too old to be taking me to the Spring Formal anyway."

"Thanks." Sam grumbled.

"Anyway…" she muttered. "If Clark doesn't ask me, Justin's coming back from hospital soon and I'm sure he'll ask me."

"Justin?"

"The Torch's artist." Chloe told him. "He was in a hit and run."

Sam winced as Chloe's phone began to ring. She answered, mouthing to Sam that it was Clark before turning away.

*

"Hey, Zorro." Chloe greeted, smirking when she saw Clark standing at the barn window, a sword dangling from his fingers. "What's with the sword?"

"It's a foil." Clark explained.

"I'm guessing it's a gift from our favourite millionaire playboy."

Clark nodded slowly, frowning down at the sword. "He's thinking of moving back to Metropolis."

"Well, I'm still here." Chloe muttered. "Clark, I'm not going anywhere." Clark stared intently at her and she stuttered slightly. "Um, sources at the sheriff's office have given me a heads up on Ryan's dad."

Clark frowned. "You have sources?"

Chloe nodded. "A cute officer in traffic. I talk my way out of a speeding ticket, he tells me I'm plucky." Clark rolled his eyes, and Chloe grinned. "Maybe I'll ask him to the dance." Clark shot her an irritated glare and Chloe sniggered. "So, Ryan's step-dad is a real catch. He's a career criminal."

Chloe passed Clark the faxed sheet, biting her lip as Clark's eyes widened in worry.

"This is Lex's limo driver." he murmured. "Look, Chloe, I have to go."

*

Chloe glanced down at her phone as it rang. She debated not answering as she was still driving home, and she didn't want to run anyone over. Hesitantly, she picked it up, reading the caller id and then pressing answer when she saw Clark's name emblazoned across the screen.

"Clark.." she answered slowly, still focussing on the road. "I'm driving."

"Chloe, this is important." Clark said, frantic.

Chloe's eyes widened and she pulled up at the side of the road. "I'm listening."

"Ryan's step-dad, he's got Ryan. They put him in Lex's limo. They threw Lex out the car while it was still moving and he needs to get to hospital."

Chloe gaped. "And what do you need me to do? I can get Lex now, but what about Ryan?"

"No, Chloe." Clark protested. "It could be dangerous. If you can get the Winchesters to pick Lex up…?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Of course, Clark. What are you doing?"

Clark sighed. "I'm going after Ryan, I'm going to get him back."

Chloe gasped, ready to tell Clark that, no, that was the stupidest idea she had ever heard, but he had already hung up. She swore, speeding away from the side of the road and past the 'Pleasant Meadows' sign. She had barely pulled up in front of the car when she had leapt out and pushed open the door, wincing slightly as it crashed against the wall.

"Sam!" she screamed, ignoring how he scrambled down the stairs, concerned. Dean was close behind him. "Clark's gone after Ryan and his step-dad. He's going to get himself killed!"

Dean shot a worried look at his brother before stepping closer to Chloe. "He's going to be fine."

Chloe nodded, breathing deeply for a few seconds. "You need to pick up Lex. He's somewhere on the road just outside of Smallville. They threw him out and he needs to get to a hospital."

Sam nodded, pushing past Chloe and already heading to the Impala. "We'll meet you at the hospital." he told her.

She nodded, turning back to see Dean. "Do you think we'll get rewarded for saving the heir to LuthorCorp?" Dean asked, smirking. Chloe didn't laugh. "Um, see you, Sullivan."

*

Dean grimaced as he dragged Lex into the backseat of the Impala. Sam watched, eyebrows raised.

"Dean, he's got a pretty bad head injury, and I'm sure his arm is broken and you're just pulling him into the car." Sam said, incredulous. "Are you sure you don't want my help?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "His head isn't that bad. And if it is, I'm sure he has the money to fix it. He got thrown out a car. No one's going to notice a few more bruises."

Sam snorted, waiting for Dean to shut the door and climb back into his car. They sped to the hospital, parking and then fetching Lex. They slung his arms over their shoulders and led him inside. A nurse ran over, followed closely by Clark.

Chloe stood where Clark had been, smirking. "I don't whether to be worried or amused that Clark made it back before you." she laughed. "But I'm definitely glad that you're all okay."

Dean turned to see if Clark had gone before grinning down at Chloe. "So, has he asked you to the dance yet?"

Chloe tensed and she glared at him. "I'm going to see if Lex is going to be alright." she snarled.

The Winchester's watched as she strode away, then Dean turned to his brother, a teasing smile on his lips.

"You have no chance." he joked, smirking as Sam grimaced. "She likes you, but she likes Clark more."

Sam shook his head, but Dean noticed how his fists were clenched. "I know, Dean." he forced out. "And she likes you, too. We're just friends."

"And I'm sure you wish you were going to a _high school's_ spring formal with all your friends." Dean drawled, watching as Sam rolled his eyes.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. Please review!**


	17. Reaper

**Seriously having problems with this fic. I'm not particularly into Supernatural right now, and I am finding it hard to write this chapter as it is a Supernatural one. I will attempt to at least start the next chapter while I'm there.  
I also need to get more organised as after the fiasco of the missing memory stick, I lost the printed plans that I had left over for this chapter and was unable to reprint them as they were on the memory stick so I had to plan it all over again.  
I don't know if it really makes up for the insanely long wait - but I would appreciate any comments you have.  
Thanks for still reading! I'd like to thank: Bkaa19, Kitty, tamfoss, Iines89, raven, blaker316, Carol Alves and miki for reviewing.**

**

* * *

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Reaper

_The engine spluttered to a stop, and the driver twisted so that he was facing the backseat, gathering a few bags of shopping and attempting to pull them into the front. He paused, looking up as a squeak pierced through the silence. His eyes widened when he saw that the garage door had closed by itself, turning to quickly get out the car. Just as he reached the door handle, the car doors locked themselves, and no matter how much he pulled at the lock, they wouldn't open. Panicking, he turned, watching as the key turned itself in the ignition and carbon monoxide began seeping into the car. Coughing, he tried once again to unlock the doors, but when that failed he struggled with the key, eventually managing to pull it out. The carbon monoxide was still pouring in, and with one final grasp at the door, the driver started screaming._

"_Help! Somebody help me!" he yelled, pounding on the doors and windows until he had no more energy. With a final plead; he fell still in the front seat._

Sam's eyes burst open and he sat up, panting and pulling the bed covers away. "Dean." he murmured, trying to be quiet so as not to wake up the rest of the house. "Dean…" When his brother didn't respond, Sam lumbered over to his bed and shook him, waiting until Dean groaned. Sam moved away, pulling a duffle bag from under his bed and throwing clothes into it.

"What are you doing?" Dean mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "It's the middle of the night."

Sam zipped the duffle bag closed and tossed it to his brother, starting to pack another one. "We have to go."

Dean grimaced. "What's happening?"

"We have to go." Sam repeated, slinging the other bag over his shoulder. "Now."

Chloe lay in her bed, frowning as she heard the Winchester's moving in their room. Staying quiet, she was able to hear the creak as the door opened and the slow footsteps in the hallway. Sighing, she got out from underneath the covers and padded over to the door, opening it and peering out sleepily.

"What's going on?" she whispered, watching as Sam and Dean turned to her in shock. "You going out?"

"We're going away." Sam replied abruptly, starting down the stairs.

Chloe frowned as he walked away, turning instead to face Dean. "Dean, what's going on?"

Dean shrugged. "I don't know." he replied. "Maybe Sam had another strange dream. Anyway, it's really freaked him out. I guess we're going to check it out." Chloe blinked, slowly absorbing what Dean had said. "We'll be back." Dean paused, looking at Chloe with concern. "We didn't wake you, did we?" Chloe didn't reply, causing Dean to grimace. "Chloe, maybe you should write this down. You look really tired and you don't want to think you imagined us leaving."

Chloe sleepily raised an eyebrow. "I won't."

Dean rolled his eyes, pushing Chloe gently back into the bedroom. "See you, Sullivan." he whispered.

Chloe nodded at him as she climbed back into bed, shutting her eyes as Dean closed the door.

* * *

"McCreedy." Sam stated, his mobile phone held up to his ear. "Detective McCreedy, badge number 15A. I need the registered owner of a two-door Sedan, Michigan license plate. Mike, Foxtrot, 6037." Sam paused, watching the road in front of the Impala as the person on the phone told him that it would take a while. "Yeah, okay, just hurry."

"Sammy, relax." Dean murmured, frowning. "I'm sure it's just a nightmare."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"No, I mean it." You know, a normal, everyday, naked-in-class nightmare. This license plate, it won't check out, you'll see."

"It felt different, Dean." Sam attempted to explain. "Real. Like when I dreamt about our old house and Jessica."

Dean grimaced. "Yeah, well, that makes sense. You're dreaming about _our _house, _your _girlfriend. This guy in your dream, you ever seen him before?"

"No."

"Exactly. Why would you have premonitions about some random dude in Michigan?"

Sam paused, thinking for a second, before groaning. "I don't know." he mumbled. "But Dean, this isn't the first time this has happened. Remember Jeremy Creek, Greg Arkin?" Dean started to answer but the person on the phone came back online and Sam concentrated on the information. "Yes, I'm here." he muttered, shooting Dean an anxious look. "Jim Miller. Saginaw, Michigan. You have a street address?" Sam rifled through his pockets for some paper, hurriedly writing down an address. "Got it. Thanks." He hung up, a stunned look on his face. "Checks out. How far are we?"

"From Saginaw?"

"Yeah."

"Couple of hours."

Sam grimaced. "Drive faster."

* * *

"What happened?" Dean asked the woman standing by him.

He glanced round the house, taking in the photos of the family scattered along the windows and the tables. The woman turned to him.

"Suicide." she murmured. "I can't believe it."

Dean watched as Sam sighed, guilt in his eyes. Dean grimaced, knowing that Sam blamed himself for not getting there in time. "Did you know him?" Sam questioned.

"I saw him every Sunday at St Augustine's." The woman replied. "He always seems… seemed so normal. I guess you never know what's going on behind closed door."

"Yeah." Dean mumbled. "I guess not."

"How did they…" Sam swallowed. "How are they saying it happened?"

"I heard they found him in the garage." The woman answered, her voice sharp. "Locked inside his car with the engine running."

"Do you know what time they found him?"

"It happened about an hour or two ago." The woman told them. "His poor family… I can't even imagine what they're going through."

Sam frowned, glancing out the window, his face falling when he saw a woman sobbing on the front porch. Sam grimaced, striding out the house, his brother following him.

"Sam…" Dean murmured, watching his brother carefully as Sam slumped against the dashboard. "We got here as fast as we could."

"Not fast enough." Sam snapped. "It doesn't make sense…why would I have these visions if I can't stop them."

"I don't know." Dean replied hesitantly. "When you saw Jeremy it was 12 years ago and with Greg… I think you saw it as it happened."

Sam inhaled deeply, a distant look on his face. "So, what do you think killed him?"

"Maybe the guy just killed himself." Dean told his brother. "Maybe there's nothing supernatural going on."

Sam groaned. "No, I saw it happen. He was murdered by something, Dean. It trapped him in the garage."

"Well, what?" Dean asked, worried. "A spirit, poltergeist, what?"

"I don't know what it is. I don't know why I've been having these dreams." Sam muttered, frustrated. "I don't know what the hell is happening."

Dean grimaced. "Maybe you've been around too many meteor rocks…"

Sam rolled his eyes, staring at his brother. "_What?_"

"Nothing." Dean said, brushing aside his previous comment. "I'm just worried about you."

"Well, don't look at me like that."

Dean shrugged innocently. "I'm not looking at you like anything. But, I have to say, you look like crap."

"Nice." Sam grumbled. "Thanks."

"Yeah, well… come on, let's pick this up in the morning, check out the house, speak to the family."

"Dean, you saw them." Sam protested. "They're devastated. They're not going to talk to us."

"You're right." Dean admitted, a smirk spreading across his face. "But I think I know who they will talk to."

* * *

Dean sniggered, waiting until Sam wasn't watching to capture a picture on a phone and sending it to Chloe. Sam's eyes widened at the quiet click of the camera and he glared at his brother, a blush crossing his face.

Both Winchester's were dressed in long black vestments and a dog collar, their hair slicked back. Sam finally reached out for the doorbell, but paused when a small noise burst from Dean's phone.

"Who did you send it to?" Sam snarled.

Dean chuckled, Sam snatching the phone from his hands before he could view the message. Sam's eyes widened.

"Chloe?" Sam murmured. "You sent it to Chloe?" Dean nodded as Sam opened the message and started to read it aloud. "_This is a new low."_ He read. "_Even for you._"

The door started to open and Sam tossed the phone back to Dean, who tucked it into his pocket. "Good evening." Dean began, as the man in the doorway looked at the brothers in confusion. "I'm Father Simmons and this is Father Freyley. We're the new junior priests over at St Augustine's. May we come in?"

The man blinked.

"We're very sorry for your loss." Sam added.

* * *

Chloe sighed, leaning back against the picnic table and staring up at the sky. She smiled at the feel of the sun, glad that it was finally summer. She frowned as she felt someone sit next to her, turning to see Pete smirking at her.

"So, are you going to let me see what was on your phone?" Pete asked, reaching towards her pocket.

Chloe rolled her eyes, taking the phone away from Pete's reach and flipping it open, grinning at the picture of the Winchester's In priest costume that was the background on her phone. "Stop trying to steal my phone." She snapped, joking. "Mrs Sykes just died, remember."

Pete nodded, waiting for Chloe to be distracted by the approaching figure of Clark Kent, before pulling the phone from her hand and frowning at the picture in confusion.

"Chloe!" Clark called, and she waved to him, snatching the phone back from Pete with a glare. "I just got your note. I can't believe it. I just saw Mrs Sykes yesterday."

"I know." Chloe told him, shifting along the bench and allowing Clark to sit next to her. "I'm sorry, Clark."

"What happened?"

"Well, the official story is that there was some sort of fire…" Chloe told him, frowning. "But all they found were her ashes."

"And the unofficial?"

"Spontaneous combustion." Chloe answered quickly.

Pete sniggered. "She thinks the old lady just burst into flames."

Chloe rolled her eyes, grabbing an old paper from her bag and opening it to a marked page. "October, 1978." She read. "Joyce Maslow was dancing in a disco in Elizabeth, New Jersey, when flames burst from her head and back, enveloping her. In seconds, she was a human torch, consumed before the eyes of her horrified boyfriend."

Chloe smiled, smug as Clark rolled his eyes. "You don't have to be so happy about it."

"I'm not happy." She protested. "I'm intrigued."

"Which means you're still going to look at it." Clark sighed.

"Am I _that_ transparent?"

Chloe watched, eyebrow raised, as her best friends exchanged a look before exclaiming a resounding 'Yes'.

* * *

"It's in difficult times like this when the Lord's guidance is most needed." Dean stated, staring intently at Roger across the coffee table.

Roger scowled. "Look, if you want to pitch your whole Lord-has-a-plan thing, fine. But don't pitch it to me. My brother is dead."

Roger's expression changed from angry to abashed as his brother's wife entered the room.

"Roger, please." She murmured, watching as he stood up and left the room. "I'm sorry about my brother-in-law. He's just so upset about Jim's death. Would you like some coffee?"

Dean nodded. "That'd be great."

They sat in silence for the few minutes it took for Ms Miller to fetch the coffee and join them in the room. "It was wonderful of you to stop by." She murmured. "The support of the church means so much right now."

Dean smiled widely. "Of course. After all, we are God's children." Ms Miller sobbed slightly, excusing herself from the room. Dean reached out for a mini-hotdog, ignoring the incredulous look Sam was shooting him. "What?"

"Just tone it down a little bit."

Sam closed his mouth quickly as Ms Miller entered the room once again. Dean smiled sympathetically at her. "So, Ms Miller, did your husband have a history of depression?"

Ms Miller shook her head. "Nothing like that. We had our ups and downs, like everyone. But we _were_ happy." She sniffed, starting to cry. "I just don't understand how Jim could do something like that."

Sam sighed. "I'm so sorry you had to find him like that."

"Actually, our son, Max…" she sobbed. "He was the one who found him."

She pointed to a teenage boy sitting alone in the corner of the room and Sam frowned, pushing up from the sofa.

"Do you mind if maybe I go talk to him?" Sam asked.

"Oh, thank you, Father."

Sam smiled and nodded before walking over to Max. "Max?" he asked, watching as the boy raised his eyes to stare at him. "I'm Sam."

Dean watched as his brother talked to young boy, turning back to Ms Miller. "You have a lovely home." Dean told her. "How long have you lived here?"

"We moved in about five years ago." She answered, looking confused.

"You know, the only problem with these old houses… I bet you have all kinds of headaches."

"Like what?"

"Well, weird leaks. Electrical shortages. Unsettling noises at night, that kind of thing."

"No. It's been perfect."

Dean grimaced. "Right. May I use his restroom?"

"Of course. It's just up the stairs."

Dean nodded, looking back at his brother as he headed towards the stairs.

"What was your dad like?" Sam was asking Max, watching how tears filled his eyes.

"Just a normal dad." Max answered slowly.

"Yeah?" Sam questioned. "And you live at home?"

"I'm trying to save up for school." He said. "It's hard."

"So, when you found your dad…" Sam said hesitantly.

"I woke up." Max told Sam. "I heard the engine running. I don't know why he did it."

"I know it's rough." Sam said slowly. "Losing a parent. Especially when you don't have all the answers."

* * *

Dean watched Sam as he talked into the phone, concerned that Sam didn't want to speak to Chloe.

"So what do you have?" he asked, lying on the motel bed.

"Nothing." Chloe told him. "Nothing bad has happened to the Miller house since it was built."

"What about the land?"

"No graveyards, battlefields, tribal lands, meteor strikes or any kind of thing you would care about near the property."

Dean grimaced. "And no cold spots, sulphur scents, nada."

"Well, maybe they have a good odour stopper."

Dean snorted, causing Sam to look up in annoyance.

"The family said everything was normal?" Sam asked.

"Well, I mean, if there was a demon or poltergeist don't you think someone would've noticed something?" Dean stated. "I used the infrared scanner, man, there was nothing."

Chloe suddenly spoke up. "Speaking of thermal, do you know anything that would make old ladies spontaneously combust?"

Dean paused. "What?" he asked. "Who? When?"

"So," interrupted Sam, irritated. "Do you think Jim Miller killed himself? And my dream was just some sort of freakish coincidence?"

"I don't know." Dean answered, hanging up on Chloe. "But I'm pretty sure that there's nothing supernatural about that house."

"Yeah…" Sam said, his voice strained as he grimaced and started to massage his temples. "Well, you know, maybe, uh… maybe it has nothing to do with the house." He groaned. "Maybe it's connected to Jim in some other way."

Sam moaned, clutching his head.

"What's wrong with you?" Dean asked, concerned.

"My head!" Sam inhaled sharply, falling to his knees. Dean rushed over, grabbing Sam's shoulders as he yelled with pain.

"Sam!" Dean said sharply, trying to get his brother's attention. "Hey! What's going on? Talk to me."

_Roger strode into the kitchen, setting a bag of groceries on the counter. From the bag, he drew a beer and opened it, drinking from it and leaning against the counter._

_A dark shape slid behind him, then vanished._

_Behind him a window opened and a cold breeze flew into the kitchen. Confused, Roger placed the beer down on the counter and closed the window, locking it. Before he reached the groceries, the window unlocked itself and opened again. Roger returned to the window, trying to shut it. Perplexed, he stuck his head out the window, looking around. _

_With a groan, the window slammed shut._

Dean watched as his brother sank into a chair, panting and sweating.

"It's happening again." Sam said, panicking. "Something's going to kill Roger Miller."

* * *

"Roger Miller." Sam stated into the phone as Dean drove the Impala. "No, no, just the address please… okay. Thanks." He hung up. "450 West Grove, Apartment 1120."

Dean nodded. "You okay?"

"Yeah."

"If you're going to hurl, I'll pull the car over, you know, 'cause the upholstery."

"I'm fine." Sam replied distantly.

"Alright."

"Just drive."

"Alright."

Sam sighed. "Dean, I'm scared, man." Sam admitted quietly. "These nightmares weren't bad enough, now I'm seeing things when I'm awake? And these visions, or whatever, they're getting more intense. And painful."

"Come on, man. It'll be alright. You'll be fine."

"What is it about the Millers? Why am I connected to them? Why am I watching them die? Why the hell is this happening to me?"

"I don't know, Sam, but we'll figure it out." Dean said, certain. "We face the unexplainable every day, this is just another thing."

"No." Sam protested. "It's never been us. It's never been in the family like this. Tell the truth, you can't tell me this doesn't freak you out."

Dean paused, aware that Sam was staring at him. "This _doesn't_ freak me out."

Sam started to reply but paused as he spotted Roger strolling along the street, bag of groceries in hand. Dean pulled up alongside him.

"Hey, Roger!" Sam shouted.

"Hey, hold up a second." Dean yelled.

Roger stopped, turning back to look at them. "What are you, missionaries?" he growled. "Leave me alone!"

"Please!" Sam leapt out the car when Roger moved towards the apartment building. "Roger, we're trying to help! Please! Hey!"

With a roll of his eyes, he locked the front door. "I don't want your help."

"We're not priests! You've got to listen to us!" Sam pleaded as Dean joined him at the apartment building.

"Roger, you're in danger." Dean joined in. "Come on. Come on!"

As Roger disappeared from view, Sam dragged his brother to the side of the building where a gate blocked an alleyway.

With a groan, Dean kicked it down, running down the narrow alleyway and starting to climb up the fire escape. Before they reached the top, they paused as a loud crashing echoed through the alleyway.

They rushed up a few more stairs and stopped, faces paling as they saw the blood splattered across the windows. Dean pulled a few rags out from his pocket and handing one to Sam.

"Start wiping down your fingertips, we don't want the cops to know we were here." Dean ordered. "Come on. I'm going to look inside."

* * *

"I can't believe you asked them if they knew anything about spontaneous combustion of old ladies!" Pete grinned as Chloe sat with him in the school quad. "And stop fidgeting, I'm sure Clark will be here soon."

Sure enough, Clark soon strolled around the corner, talking quietly with Whitney. When Whitney skulked away, Chloe waved enthusiastically at Clark. He headed over to them, sitting down.

"Clark, I've been looking all over for you." Chloe said, giggling when he shot Pete an incredulous look. "Look what I found in the Daily Planet."

Clark took the newspaper from Chloe's hand, scanning the page.

"Body Disappears From Metropolis Morgue." Clark read.

"Yeah, but look at the photo." Chloe ordered. "The coroner's body was disintegrated into ash."

"Just like Mrs Sykes."

"I don't know…" Chloe grinned. "But it sure would be nice to check out that house for ourselves."

Dean stared at his brother as Sam stretched out along his motel bed.

"I'm telling you, there was nothing there." Dean insisted. "There's no signs either, just like in the Miller's house."

"I saw something in the vision, like a dark shape. Something was stalking Roger." Sam insisted.

"Well, whatever it was, we can be sure it's not connected to their house."

"No, it's connected to the family itself." Sam sat up, tossing Dean the Impala keys. "So, what do you think we got? A vengeful spirit?"

Dean caught the keys, took the hint and headed towards the door, Sam getting up to follow him. "Yeah, there's a few that have been known to latch onto families, follow them for years."

"Banshees."

"Basically like a curse." Dean continued, shutting the motel door. "So, maybe Roger and Jim Miller got involved in something heavy. Something curse-worthy."

"And now something's out for revenge." Sam agreed as they climbed into the Impala. "And the men in their family are dying. Hey, you think Max is in danger?"

Dean grimaced, starting the car. "Let's figure it out before he is."

"Well, I know one thing I have in common with these people."

"What's that?"

Sam sighed. "Both our families are cursed."

Dean shook his head. "Our family's not cursed." He protested. "We just…had our dark spots."

Sam laughed harshly. "Our dark spots are pretty dark."

Dean scowled, starting to drive away. "You're…dark."

* * *

Chloe ducked under the yellow tape and looked around the stuffy, maroon-coloured room. She was tempted to run her hand over the antique looking tables, but remembered one of Dean's favourite bits of advice – 'When at crime scenes, don't touch'- and quickly withdrew her hand.

Clark saw her sudden movement and exhaled. "You know, Chloe…" he started, following her under the police tape. "This is a crime scene."

He looked pointedly at her hand, and Chloe rolled her eyes, edging towards the bed. The duvet had been removed and all that was covering the mattress was the white sheet, a black outline of Mrs Sykes drawn onto the sheets by ash.

"So?" Chloe laughed, frowning down at the bed. "There's no other sign of fire damage anywhere, so you might want to dial back on that spontaneous combustion scepticism."

She reached out to touch the black; to see if really was ash, but Clark pulled her hand away with a stern, yet confused look. "No barking." he stated.

Chloe tugged her hand away from his, tossing him a puzzled glance. "I wasn't planning on it."

Clark smiled slightly, but was soon back to the slightly confused expression as he glanced around. "Pepper."

"Who's Pepper?"

"Mrs Sykes' dog. She turned into a barking machine anytime someone came over. Pepper?" As Clark turned away, whistling for the dog, Chloe withdrew her camera from her bag and started to take as many shots of the crime scene. "Come here, girl!"

When Chloe stopped taking her photos, she turned to stare at Clark, who was lumbering round the room, still calling out for the dog. "Animal shelter probably came and got her, Clark."

Clark nodded, straightened up, and then his eyebrows furrowed and his gaze became intense as he shot a final, searching glance through the room. With a gulp, he pulled away a curtain separating the bedroom from the area and stared down at a small pile of ashes. "Oh, no."

Chloe's eyes widened with disgust as she looked down. "Oh, don't tell me that's Pepper." She choked out.

Clark sighed, reaching out to grab a small metal dog tag from the pile of ashes, ignoring Chloe's wince as his hand touched the ashes. He raised it up to Chloe and she took a picture of it, waiting until Clark replaced the dog tag to turn away and start to leave.

"Chloe?" he called, and she turned around.

"Clark? Please don't tell me she had another dog?"

Clark shot her an angry look, pointing to the fresh white rose by the bedside. "What happened may have been combustion, but I have a feeling it wasn't spontaneous."

* * *

"My mom's resting." Max told them as he let the Winchesters into the house. "She's pretty wrecked."

Dean smiled at the younger boy. "Of course."

"All these people kept coming with, like, casseroles. I finally had to tell them all to go away." Max gestured towards the dining room table, which was covered with foil-covered dishes. "You know, 'cause nothing says 'I'm sorry' like tuna casserole."

As the brothers laughed, Max gestured for them to sit down. Dean did so, but Sam stayed standing. "How you holding up?" he asked.

"I'm okay."

"Your dad and uncle were close?"

"Yeah, I guess." Max mumbled. "I mean, they were brothers. They used to hang out all the time when I was little."

"But lately, not much?"

Max smiled weakly. "No, it's not that. It's just… we used to be neighbours when I was a kid. And we lived across town in this house, and Uncle Roger lived next door, so he was over all the time."

"Right." Sam nodded, frowning. "How was it in that house when you were a kid?"

Max looked down. "It was fine." he murmured. "Why?"

"All good memories?" Dean spoke up, staring as the Max's gaze snapped towards him. "Do you remember anything unusual? Something involving your father and your uncle, maybe?"

Max swallowed. "What do you…" he stuttered. "Why do you ask?"

"Just a question."

Max's face became blank. "No." he stated emotionlessly. "There was nothing. We were totally normal. Happy."

"Good." Dean responded, scowling. "That's good. Well, you must be exhausted. We should take off."

Dean pushed up from the chair as Sam thanked the boy then strode out of the house, heading back towards the car.

"Nobody's family is totally normal and happy." Dean stated, not looking back at Sam. "Did you see when he was talking about his old house?"

"Sounded scared." Sam answered.

Dean nodded. "Yeah, Max isn't telling us everything. I say we go find the old neighbourhood, and find out what life was really like at the Millers."

* * *

"Have you lived in the neighbourhood very long?"

Dean stared at the middle-aged man as they questioned him. The man frowned, confused, but answered anyway. "Yeah, almost twenty years now. It's nice and quiet. Why, you looking to buy?"

Sam shook his head. "No, no, actually, we were just wondering if you might recall a family that used to live right across the street."

Dean nodded. "Yeah, the Millers. They had a little boy named Max."

"Right."

The man's face fell slightly and he looked down at the ground. "Yeah, I remember. The brother had the place next door." He pointed to the house across the street before frowning, concerned. "So, what's this about? That poor kid okay?"

Sam scowled. "What do you mean?"

He swallowed. "In my life, I've never seen a child treated like that. I mean, I'd hear Mr Miller yelling and throwing things clear across the street. He was a mean drunk. He used to beat the tar out of Max. Bruises – broke his arm two times that I know of."

The Winchester's eyes were wide, horrified at what they were hearing. "And this was going on regularly?"

"Practically every day." He continued, swallowing when he caught sight of Sam's disgusted grimace. "In fact, that thug brother of his was just as likely to take a swing at the boy, but the worst part was the stepmother. She's just stand there, checked out, never lifted a finger to protect him. I must have called the police seven or eight times, never did any good."

Dean looked at him. "Now, you said stepmother…"

"I think his real mom died. Some sort of accident – a car accident, I think." He stopped, looking up as Sam inhaled sharply. "You okay there?"

Sam exhaled, his hands coming up to clutch his head. "Yeah." he muttered.

"Thanks for your time" Dean called back to the neighbour as he led Sam back towards the car.

"Yeah, thank you." Sam added, sitting down.

Dean watched, worried, as a terrified expression crossed his brothers face.

"_I don't know what you mean by that!" Ms Miller protested. "You know I never did anything."_

"_That's right." Max snarled, tears running down his face. "You didn't do anything. You didn't stop them, not once!"_

_The knife lying on the cutting board jerked, then lifted into the air. Ms Miller turned to stare at it, wide-eyed, then turned back to Max. "How did you…"_

_She stopped speaking when the knife turned and flew through the air. With a gasp she pinned herself against the wall, staring at the knife pointing at her eye. It moved closer, stopping barely a centimetre away._

"_Max, please!" she begged._

_Max swallowed. "For every time you stood there and watched. Pretending it wasn't happening!"_

"_I'm sorry!"_

"_No, you're not." he growled. "You just don't want to die!"_

_The knife moved backwards, and then flew straight towards her._

Dean turned as Sam jolted up in his seat, eyes wide and breathing heavily. He raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Max is doing it." Sam gasped. "Everything I've been seeing."

Dean frowned. "You sure about this?"

"Yeah." Sam confirmed. "I saw."

"How's he pulling it off?"

Sam scowled. "I don't know. It looked like telekinesis."

Dean narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "So, he's psychic? He's a spoon-bender?"

"I didn't even realise it but this whole time he was there." Sam murmured. "He was outside the garage when his dad died; he was in the apartment when his uncle died. These visions, this whole time, I wasn't connecting to the Millers. I was connecting to Max." He paused. "The thing I don't get is why, man? I guess because we're so alike."

Dean looked at Sam in confusion. "What are you talking about? The dude's nothing like you."

"We both have psychic abilities. We're both…"

Dean interrupted him. "Both what? Sam, Max is a monster. He's already killed two people and now he's going for a third."

"Well, with what he went through – the beatings. To want revenge on those people, I'm sorry man, I hate to say it, but it's not insane."

Dean turned away from Sam, focussing again on the road. "Yeah, but it doesn't justify murdering your entire family."

"Dean…"

"He's no different than anything else we've hunted. Alright we're got to end him."

Dean pulled over in front of the Miller house and stared at the door.

"We're not going to kill Max." Sam stated.

"Then what?" Dean asked. "Hand him over to the cops and say 'Lock him up, officer, he kills with the power of his mind'"

"Forget it." Sam said firmly. "No way. He's a person. We can talk to him. Promise me you'll follow my lead on this one."

Dean swallowed. "Alright, fine. But I'm not letting him hurt anybody else."

He reached into the gun compartment and pulled out a gun before he climbed out of the car.

* * *

Chloe clicked on the arrow, watching as the image on the screen changed to one of Clark's friend Tyler, dead in the morgue. His hand was bent backwards, digging into a green bracelet.

Pete paled slightly. "That's disgusting."

Chloe grinned. "I guess I should have mentioned the 'may not be suitable for all ages' disclaimer." Pete smirked back at her as she turned to Clark. "Your friend's been busy."

Clark frowned. "What do you mean, busy?"

"I mean, he tried to kill his mother, rose from the dead and escaped the morgue busy." she stated. "My buddy Chad works weekends for the M.E. He zipfiled the toxicology report. Besides the fatal amount of pain killers, they also found fragments of an unknown green stone embedded in his skin."

Pete grimaced. "Meteor rocks."

"Yep."

Clark still seemed unconvinced. "If that's the case, why aren't all the dead in Smallville rising from their graves?"

Chloe thought for a second. "I think it's the lethal combo of pain killers and meteor rocks that caused Tyler to pull a 'Thriller'."

"Wait a minute." Clark said, leaning past her to stare at the picture. "Did you say Tyler _tried _to kill his mother?"

Chloe nodded. "Tried and failed. His mother recovered enough to be sent home."

The three looked up as a nervous Lana burst into the room. She was biting her lip and fiddling with her sleeves as she stared at all of them.

Chloe raised her eyebrows at her silence. Lana breathed in. "I just left Tyler at the graveyard." She breathed.

"Are you okay?" Clark asked, straightening up and running over to her.

Lana nodded. "He heard Whitney talking about his father. He said that he could bring him peace."

"Did you call the police?"

Lana nodded, and Clark walked past her and out the room. Lana frowned. "Where are you going?" she called after him, running to look into the corridor. She turned back to Chloe with a confused look.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Don't look at me. He does that _all_ the time."

* * *

"You know I never did anything!" Ms Miller cried, staring at her stepson.

Max grimaced. "That's right. You didn't do anything!" Ms Miller's eyes darted towards the cutting board, where a knife had started to rattle. "You didn't stop them, not once!"

The knife stilled when the Winchesters burst through the kitchen door and Max turned to stare at them.

"Fathers?" gasped Ms Miller, relieved.

"What are you doing here?" Max snarled.

Dean smiled innocently. "Sorry to interrupt."

"Max, could we…" Sam struggled to form the sentence. "Could we talk to you outside for a minute?"

"About what?" Max muttered, confusion in his eyes.

"It's private." Sam answered quickly. "I wouldn't want to bother your mother with it. We won't be long at all, though. I promise." Max glanced at his stepmother before nodding and walking over to the brothers. "Great."

Dean leaned across to open the front door and Max's eyes widened when he caught sight of the gun in Dean's jeans. The door slammed shut, followed by the windows. "You're not priests!"

Dean winced, pulling out the gun and pointing at Max, but Max narrowed his eyes and the gun flew from Dean's hand, falling onto the floor. Slowly, Max leaned down to pick up before pointing at Sam and Dean.

Ms Miller inhaled. "Max!" she panicked. "What's happening?"

Max scowled. "Shut up!"

"What are you doing?"

Max jerked his head, and his stepmother was flung across the room and into the kitchen counter, collapsing onto the floor. "I said shut up."

"Max," Sam said slowly. "Calm down."

"Who are you?"

"We just want to talk to you."

"Yeah, right." He sneered, shaking the gun. "That's why you brought this."

"That was a mistake, alright? So was lying about who we were, but no more lying." Sam said, stumbling through the sentence. "Just, please, just hear me out."

"About what?"

"I saw you do it." Sam stated. "I saw you kill your dad and your uncle before it happened."

Max raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I'm having visions, Max." Sam continued slowly. "About you."

Max shook his head slightly. "You're crazy."

"So, you weren't about to launch a knife at your stepmom?" Sam asked, pointing to his eye. "Right here? Is it that hard to believe, Max? Look at what you can do. Max, I was drawn here, alright? I think I'm here to help you."

Max cackled. "No one can _help_ me."

"Let me try." Sam begged, stepping closer. "We'll just talk. Me and you. We'll get Dean and Alice out of here."

Dean stared at his brother. "No way."

Sam grimaced, as the light fixture above them began to shake and flicker. "Nobody leaves this house!"

"And nobody has to, alright?" Sam muttered. "They'll just…go upstairs."

"Sam." Dean said firmly. "I'm not leaving you alone with him."

Sam looked down. "Yes you are." he said quietly. "Look, Max, you're in charge here, alright? We all know that. No one's going to do anything that you don't want to, but I'm talking five minutes here."

Max inhaled and the light stopped shaking. "Five minutes." he agreed. "Go."

Dean moved past him to the kitchen, shaking Alice awake. She groaned, but her eyelids fluttered and she remained unconscious. With a sigh, Dean picked her up. As Dean carried her up the stairs, Max led Sam through into the living room.

"Look, I can't begin to understand what you went through…" Sam began.

Max's eyes jumped up to meet his. "That's right." he murmured, turning to look at a letter opener and staring at it as it moved to stand upright. "You can't."

"This has to stop."

"It will." Max replied, still looking at the letter opener. "After my stepmother."

"No." Sam shook his head. "You need to let her go."

"Why?" He narrowed his eyes and the letter opener began to spin.

"Did she beat you?" Sam asked.

"No." Max replied, his voice quiet. "But she never tried to save me. She's a part of it too."

"Look, what they did to you, what they all did to you, growing up… I guess they deserve to be punished."

Max snorted. "Growing up?" he asked, finally raising his voice. "Try last week." He stood, raising his shirt up so Sam could the mottled purple and green on his chest, lined with cuts across his ribs. "My dad still hit me, just in places people couldn't see. Old habits die hard, I guess."

Slowly, Max lowered his shirt and sat back down, meeting Sam's stunned stare. "I'm sorry." Sam choked out.

Max looked at the letter opener again, spinning it even faster. "When I first found out I could move things, it was a gift. My whole life I was helpless. But now I had this. So, last week," He narrated. "Dad gets drunk – first time in a long time. And he beats me to hell… first time in a long time. And I knew what I had to do."

"Why didn't you just leave?"

The letter opener fell and Sam jumped, his gaze drawn to the still knife. Max frowned. "It wasn't about getting away… just knowing that they'd still be out there. It was about not being afraid. When my dad used to look at me, there was hate in his eyes. Do you know what that feels like?"

Sam shook his head. "No." he said, his voice soft.

"He blamed me for everything." Max stated. "For his job, for his life, for my mom's death."

Sam knitted his eyebrows together. "Why would he blame you for your mom's death?"

"Because she died in my nursery. While I was asleep in my crib." Sam's eyes grew wide as Max told the story. "As if that makes it my fault."

"She died in your nursery?"

"Yeah, there was a fire." Max said, his voice distant. "And he'd get drunk and babble on like she died in some insane way. He said that she burned up. Pinned to the ceiling."

Sam paused in shock, before staring at Max. "Listen to me, Max. What your dad said about what happened to your mom… it's real."

"What?"

"It happened to my mom too. Exactly the same – my nursery, my crib." Sam paused. "My dad saw her on the ceiling."

Max frowned. "Then your dad must have been as drunk as mine."

"No, no, it's the same thing." Sam protested. "The same thing killed our mothers."

"That's not possible."

"This must be why I've been having visions during the day." Sam murmured. "Why they're getting more intense. 'Cause you and I must be connected in some way. Your abilities – they started almost a year ago, right? Out of the blue?"

"How do you know that?" Max asked, his voice higher with panic.

"Because that's when my abilities started, Max. I mean, yours seem to be much further along, but still, this – this means something, right? I mean, for some reason, you and I were chosen."

"For what?"

"I don't know." Sam muttered, trying to convince Max. "But Dean and I… my brother and I, we're hunting for your mom's killer. And we can find answers. Answers that can help us both. But you got to let us go. You've got to let your stepmother go."

Sam watched hopefully as a thoughtful expression landed on Max's face. But as quick as it appeared, it was replaced by the same cold glare Max had been wearing when threatening his stepmother. He shook his head. "No." Max growled. "What they did to me… I still have nightmares! I'm still scared all the time, like I'm just waiting for their next beating! I'm tired of being scared. If I do this, it'll be over!"

He stood and started towards the stairs. Quickly, Sam rushed in front of him. "No." Sam shouted. "Don't you get it? It won't. The nightmares won't end, Max, not like this. It's just more pain. And it makes you as bad as them. Max, you don't have to go through all this by yourself."

Max stared at him, then his eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry."

Sam felt his feet leave the floor as he was flung into the nearby closet, the door shut in front of him. "No!" Sam yelled, watching as something blocked light from entering the room and realising that Max must have blocked the cupboard with something. "No, Max!" He pounded on the door. "No! Max!"

"_Max!" Ms Miller yelled as Max let go of the gun and it continued to hover in mid air. "No. Max."_

_Dean stood up slowly, but the gun followed him. Max didn't even look at him, staring viciously at his stepmother. "Stay back." he ordered Dean. "It's not about you."_

_Dean grimaced. "If you want to kill her, you have to go through me."_

_Max smiled coldly. "Okay."_

_The trigger pulled and the bullet cut through the air and into Dean's head, sending him flying against the wall. Max watched as Dean slid down to the ground, turning back to his stepmother._

Sam gasped, his hands falling from his temples as the room in front of him came back into his vision. Quickly, he wiped his sweating hands against his jeans before starting to pound on the door once again. "No!" he screamed, begging the door to somehow open, then frowning as slowly, whatever was blocking the door moved away and the closet door flew open.

"Max!" Ms Miller yelled as Max let go of the gun and it continued to hover in mid air. "No. Max."

Dean stood up slowly, but the gun followed him. Max didn't even look at him, staring viciously at his stepmother. "Stay back." he ordered Dean. "It's not about you."

Dean grimaced. "If you want to kill her, you have to go through me."

Max smiled coldly. "Okay."

The trigger started to move, but Sam burst through the door. "No, don't!" he begged. "Don't! Please, Max. Max, we can help you, alright? But this, what you're doing, it's not the solution. It's not going to fix anything."

Max stared at him for a second, before smiling. "You're right."

Sam smiled back at him, but that smile quickly fell away as the gun turned towards Max. Sam's jaw dropped as the trigger was pulled and Max fell to the floor.

* * *

"Max attacked me." Ms Miller cried. "He threatened me with a gun."

The policeman she was talking to nodded and jotted something down on the notepad he held in front of him. He raised his head to look at the Winchesters. "And these two?"

Ms Miller swallowed. "They're family friends. I called them as soon as Max arrived." Her voice broke. "I was scared. They tried to stop him. They fought for the gun."

"Where did Max get the gun?" the policeman asked, his voice calm.

"I don't know!" Ms Miller sobbed. "He showed up with it and…"

He nodded. "It's alright, Ms Miller."

"I've lost everyone."

The policeman patted her awkwardly on the shoulder and then turned to the Winchesters. "Okay, we'll give you a call if we have any further questions."

"Thanks, officer." Dean said. "Come on."

Dean led Sam out the house and back to the Impala. Sam stopped walking, his head down. "If I had just said something else. Gotten through to him somehow."

Dean turned. "Don't do that."

Sam raised his head to look at him. "Do what?"

"Pull a Clark Kent." Dean replied easily. At Sam's confused look he continued. "Torture yourself. It wouldn't have matter what you said, Max was too far gone."

They both continued walking. "When I think about how he looked at me, man, right before… I should have said something."

Dean grimaced. "Come on, man, you risked your life. I mean, yeah, maybe if we had got there twenty years earlier."

They stopped at the car and Sam looked seriously at Dean. "Well, I'll tell you one thing. We're lucky we had dad."

Dean raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I never thought I'd hear you say that."

"Well, he could've gone a whole different way after mom. A little more tequila, a little less demon-hunting, and we would have had Max's childhood. All things considered, we turned out okay… thanks to him."

Dean paused, key in the door of the Impala. "All things considered."

* * *

Sam sat silently at the table, staring down at it, completely ignoring how Dean and Chloe were discussing her article on the newest addition to Smallville's collection of meteor freaks.

Dean was scanning the article as Chloe edited the Torch for the next day. "So I'm guessing it wasn't spontaneous combustion?" Dean asked. "And it sounded so exciting."

"No." Chloe sighed. "Just combustion."

Chloe looked up at Sam for a few seconds before returning to her work. Dean glanced between them. "And this guy, he's now…"

"Dead." Chloe answered. "According to Clark, he ended up combusting himself."

Dean grimaced. "Fun."

"Dean." Sam said suddenly, pulling all attention to himself. "I've been thinking."

"Well, that's never a good thing." Dean grinned.

Chloe started to laugh. "I'm serious." Sam said, which made Chloe stop and stare at him with concern. "I've been thinking… why would this demon, or whatever it is, why would it kill mom and Jessica and Max's mother, you know, what does it want?"

Dean glanced at Chloe, and she quickly nodded and left the room. "I don't know." Dean replied.

"Well, do you think maybe it was after us?" Sam asked. "After Max and me?"

"Why would you think that?"

"I mean, telekinesis or premonitions, we both had abilities, you know? Maybe it was after us for some reason?"

Dean grimaced. "If it went after you because of your abilities, half of Smallville would be motherless by now. If it wanted you, it would've just taken you, okay? This is not your fault. It's not about you."

Sam frowned. "Then what is it about?"

"It's about that damn thing that did this to our family. The thing that we're going to find, the thing that we're going to kill. And that's all." Chloe returned and Dean stared at her. "That was a very convenient point to return, Chloe." he stated and she smiled innocently. "You weren't listening in, were you?"

"There's something else, too." Sam said, causing Chloe to frown and begin to inch back out the room. "Chloe, you can stay." She grinned, leaping back to her seat at the table and fidgeting with her articles for the Torch once more. "When Max locked me in that closet, that big cabinet against the door… I moved it."

Dean laughed. "You've got a little bit more upper body strength than I give you credit for."

"No." Sam said, his voice quieting. "I moved it… like Max."

Chloe stared up at him. "You mean… with your mind?"

"Yeah."

Dean grabbed a nearby spoon that had been left over since Chloe's dinner and held it near Sam's face. "Bend this." he commanded.

Chloe laughed, but Sam just rolled his eyes. "I can't just turn it on and off, Dean." he said.

"Well, how did you do it?"

"I don't know. I can't control it. I saw you die and it just came out of me, like a punch. You know, like a freak adrenaline thing."

Dean dropped the spoon. "Well, I'm sure it won't happen again."

"Yeah, maybe." Sam muttered. "Aren't you worried that I could turn into Max or something?"

"Nope. No way. You know why?"

"No." Sam answered, staring at his brother. "Why?"

"Because you have one advantage that Max didn't have."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Dad?" he murmured. "Dad's not here, Dean."

Dean smirked. "No. Me."

"And me." Chloe added, drawing warm smiles from both Winchesters.

"As long as I'm around, nothing bad is going to happen to you." Dean stated.

Chloe grinned. "And if you ever find dealing with abilities difficult, I'm sure there will be someone in Smallville who you can talk to. We have enough people with special powers."

Sam smiled at her. "Aren't most of them in Belle Reeve by now?"

Chloe nodded. "It could be a day trip."

Dean smirked. "Speaking of day trips, I know what we need to do about your premonitions. I know where we have to go."

"Where?" Sam asked, confused.

"Vegas." Sam rolled his eyes at Dean's excitement. "What? Come on, man. We'd clean up."

Chloe laughed, smiling at the two brothers. "Now, Sam, can you pass me the Torch?"

Sam reached over and passed it to her. "It was right next to you. Couldn't you have got it yourself?"

Chloe giggled. "I was hoping you would move it with your mind. I guess you really _can't _control your telekinesis."

* * *

**Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Please read and review!**

**-Artjuice-**


	18. Drone

**So it's been over a year. However, I recently watched some of the earlier Smallville episodes and it made me want to write a bit more. I can't guarantee any more updates but I hope you enjoy this.**

**I'd like to thank art-addict, Sleepy Gecko, Tammara, Bkaa19 and blaker316 for reviewing. I'd also like to thank anyone who favourited or set this to story alert.**

**I hope you enjoy this.**

* * *

Drone

Chloe tapped her spoon against the side of her bowl, the chiming sound breaking through the silence surrounding the breakfast table. Dean seemed equally as bothered by the awkward silence and had taken to slurping every spoonful of cereal.

The change in atmosphere at the Sullivan house could be attributed to two things. Firstly, Gabe had maintained his annoyance at Chloe's hunting knowledge for many weeks now and there were no signs that his feelings on the topic were fading. Secondly, since Sam's discovery that he may have telekinetic powers, he spent too much time thinking and not enough time sleeping and was snapping at anyone who attempted to talk to him.

Chloe stopped the tapping, smiling weakly when Sam looked over at her. The dark circles under his eyes were showing just how tired he was and it was making everyone worried.

Slurp

"Would you stop that?" Sam snarled, watching as Dean lowered the spoon from his mouth. "And doesn't Chloe have school?"

Dean frowned, opening his mouth to ask if Sam was feeling alright, but Sam grimaced, pushing his food towards the centre of the table and stalking away.

Chloe sighed, standing up. "Come on then, Dean."

With one final glance after Sam, Dean grabbed his leather jacket and followed her to the Impala. He stared at her for a few seconds.

"He's just trying to deal." Dean said weakly.

Chloe nodded. "I just wish he would talk to us."

Dean frowned. "But just because Sam's feeling mopey doesn't mean you can't hang out with me."

oOo

Chloe giggled as Pete flinched away from a bee. Pete scowled at her.

"Hey, it could have stung me!" he protested.

"It wasn't even near you." Chloe laughed. "And when is Clark going to get here?"

Pete shrugged, then nudged Chloe as the small, fidgety sophomore, Sasha strode past him. Chloe sighed, readied her camera and then ran after her.

"Hey, Sasha!" Chloe yelled and Sasha stopped, turning round and adjusting her glasses. "Say something presidential." She laughed as she took a photo.

"Chloe! Slow down!" Sasha laughed. "The election hasn't even started yet."

With that, she turned on her heel and left. Chloe sighed and turned to Pete. "What do you think Sasha's chances are?"

Pete frowned, considering her question. "Well, she knows the most of our student government, she's worked her way up, she's on a ton of committees." Pete replied, smirking "But she's more of a worker than a leader."

Chloe nodded in agreement, scanning the courtyard and spotting another candidate. "What about Paul?"

Pete rolled his eyes. "He's certainly the most qualified but elections aren't about merit. They're about popularity." He turned a lecherous gaze at a blonde girl surrounded by cheerleaders. "Which brings us to Felice. Head cheerleader and president of the drama club. That definitely gives her an edge, not to mention she's also really hot."

Chloe laughed. "Yeah, but her name rhymes with the French word for luggage."

Pete grinned. "I'm glad to see you're not looking for reasons to hate her."

Chloe's eyes widened as Felice turned and spotted them looking at her. She shrugged away the people surrounding her and strutted over to them. Pete's grins widened.

"I saw you taking Sasha's picture. Why haven't you taken mine?" she asked, her voice shrill. "That qualifies as bias."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "For the record, I plan on running photos and bios of all the candidates. Including you, Felice."

Felice frowned; hand on her hip, not seeing when the final candidate, Paul, joined them. "Hey Chloe." He greeted and she smiled up at him. "What about the editorial? You can only endorse one candidate. So who's it going to be?"

Felice smiled smugly. "Who cares? No matter what she says, people are going to vote for me."

Chloe sighed. "Never underestimate the need for the clinically ambitious to pad their resumes."

She smirked as Paul chuckled. Felice huffed. "If you want to avoid the pain and humiliation of losing." She snapped to Paul. "Drop out now."

Felice stalked away while Paul shot an exasperated look at Chloe and Pete. He waved to Chloe as he turned to follow Felice into the school, leaving Chloe and Pete alone.

Chloe grimaced. "I guess Clark got distracted."

Pete sighed, but smiled up at Chloe. "So?" he asked. "It was fun, hanging out with just you." He said, his voice quieting. "We haven't done that in a while. Not since our friendship groups expanded."

Chloe raised an eyebrow in question. "Expanded?"

Pete flushed. "Well, Clark's friends with Lex, Lana and Whitney now. I've got the football team and you've got the Winchesters."

Chloe smiled. "Don't worry." She murmured. "Sam's not very sociable at the moment. And I'm just as close to you as I am to Dean."

Pete grinned, pulling her into a sideways hug. "Even though I don't see you that often, you're still my best friend."

Chloe elbowed him away, smiling. "Come on; let's go see if Clark's gone straight to the Torch."

She didn't notice how Pete's smile fell.

oOo

Although pizza had been ordered in, it was quiet in the Sullivan house. Gabe was helping with a problem at LuthorCorp plant and Sam had not come down. Dean and Chloe were eating in silence.

When Chloe's phone rang, she eagerly answered it, still chewing. She muttered an incomprehensible 'hello' into it before swallowing and nodding as she listened to the other end of the phone.

Dean watched as she stopped lifting food towards her mouth and frowned in concern.

"That's horrible." She murmured. "I can't believe... how many?...I'm going to go see how he is... Bye Clark."

Pushing her pizza away, she grabbed the key to her Beetle but was stopped by Dean's hand. She looked up as he shook the Impala keys at her. With a roll of her eyes, she dropped her keys and followed him outside.

She climbed into the front seat and smiled at Dean.

"Where we going?" Dean asked.

"Smallville Medical Centre." She told him and he frowned.

"What happened?" Dean murmured, concerned.

Chloe frowned. "Paul Chan was stung by a swarm of bees in his own bathroom."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "That's not good."

Chloe rolled her eyes.

oOo

Pete scanned the first page of the Torch, his eyebrows furrowed with sympathy. He passed the paper back to Chloe with a grimace. "That's got to be my all-time worst nightmare." Pete said, shivering. "I get stung by one bee; I swell up like a grapefruit, but over a hundred?"

Chloe nodded in agreement, but Clark just frowned. Chloe turned to look at him "Clark, just because you've never been stung..."

Clark shot her an exasperated look. "The question is _how_ they got into Paul's bathroom." Clark asked.

"The Centre for Environmental Protection is sending out a team from Metropolis to investigate." Chloe told Clark.

Pete nodded, looking from the article to one of Paul Chan's posters. He smirked. "Guess that's really going to shake up our class elections."

Chloe shrugged. "Not really." She muttered. "I mean, Paul's name is still on the ballot. He wouldn't have to take off until the fall, so he could recover by then."

Pete chuckled. "Out of sight, out of mind. My call, he gets a few sympathy votes, but that's about it."

Clark scowled. "Nice to see the softer side of Pete."

Pete rolled his eyes, standing up and leaving the Torch. Chloe looked at Clark in amusement, before they both followed him. He was waiting at the end of the corridor, grinning. Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so happy?" she asked.

Pete gestured round the corner, but held Chloe back when she tried to look round it. Clark just stood behind them with his arms crossed, staring at Pete. "There's a new candidate on the horizon." Pete enthused. "And I think he's really going to make things interesting."

"Oh yeah?" Chloe asked. "Who's that?"

Chloe allowed Pete to grab her arm and gently pull her around the corner. Pete dropped her arm, and gestured to the new blue and red banners, each one reading 'Clark Kent For President'. Chloe's eyes widened, and she turned to stare at Clark, who was standing behind them, staring at the banners in shock.

"What have you done?" stammered Clark, reaching out and tearing down a nearby poster.

Pete laughed. "I see a big future ahead of you in politics, Clark." He explained, ignoring how Chloe rolled her eyes. "You're straight forward. People like you."

Clark shook his head, stepping back and away from the decorated hallway. "No way." He spluttered. "Definitely not."

"Clark, you've got the whole package! Looks..." he listed, nudging Chloe who flushed and looked away from Clark. "...brains and that whole farm boy charm. Did I mention the perks of power?"

Clark frowned. "Well, if it's such a great gig, why didn't _you_ run?"

"I know my strengths." Pete shrugged, smiling at his two best friends, who were standing side by side and staring at him incredulously. "I'm more the power _behind_ the throne, the guy _behind_the guy. The one who makes it all happen."

Chloe snorted. "Pete Ross, the King Maker." She teased, beaming from Clark to Pete.

Pete nodded. "Exactly. All you have to do is show up, shake a couple of hands, give an election speech. It's easy."

Chloe shook her head in amusement. "And we wonder why our politicians aren't good leaders." She drawled.

Pete ignored her, turning away to face the mass of people crowding in the hallway and starting to clap. Chloe and Clark exchanged a confused glance as everyone turned to stare at Pete. "Clark!" Pete cheered. "Clark! Clark!"

To their amazement, the other students in the hallway started to chant along with Pete, and Chloe watched as a smile slowly crossed Clark's face.

oOo

Clark was sitting at Chloe's desk, holding his head in his hands and grimacing. Chloe was patting him on the shoulders.

"I can't believe Pete did this!" he moaned.

Chloe laughed, her hand still on his shoulder. "I know." She muttered, starting to lightly massage his shoulder. "Some men are born to greatness, others are dragged into it kicking and screaming."

Clark chuckled, relaxing slightly and turning to look at her. He was about to say something when a knock on the doorframe pulled their attention. Dean stood in the doorway, his gaze locked on Chloe's hand.

"I figured that I was allowed to pick you up without bringing Sam." he watched with a raised eyebrow as Chloe jerked her hand away from Clark at the mention of Sam. Clark scowled. "I thought you would like a lift."

Clark turned to Chloe. "You didn't bring your car?" he asked. "I could have driven you back. Dean didn't need to come all the way here."

Dean smirked. "I'm glad I came." he replied. "I never got the impression that you were into politics."

Chloe nodded but Clark's frown deepened. "Why not?"

"Didn't think you'd like everyone to be watching you." Dean said innocently. "I mean, you don't want people finding out all your secrets." Dean grinned when Clark swallowed and stood up, starting to leave the room. Chloe grabbed her bag and began to follow him, Dean next to her. "However, the posters really do add colour to the school. Maybe you need a slogan."

Clark started to speed up, but drew quickly to a stop when Sasha stepped in front of him. Chloe looked round quickly, unsure where the girl had appeared from.

"Clark, what's going on?" Sasha snapped, ripping one of the posters from a locker and shoving it up to Clark's face. "Why are you running? You've never shown any interest in student government."

"Don't worry." Clark said kindly, prying the poster out of her hands. "It's just a gag. Pete nominated me."

"So, you're going to take your name off the ballot?" Sasha asked, her tone dropping so it was less shrill. Clark nodded. "Well, good. Because this election is way too important to turn into a joke." she stated seriously, grimacing. "It's bad enough with Felice."

Chloe chuckled, stepping closer as Sasha turned to look at her. Dean grimaced, looking out of place in the colourful halls of Smallville High. Chloe smiled sympathetically at Sasha. "I hear she's throwing a pre-election bash with a band and catering."

Sasha inhaled sharply. "She's trying to buy the election like one of her Prada bags!"

She stomped off, leaving the three of them standing in the corridor. Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Talk about tightly wound." Clark looked at Chloe, his expression showing he was considering something. "Clark, what is it? We need to go."

"Chloe." Clark started. "Not that I'm planning to, but if I ran, do you think I'd have a chance?"

"Yeah." Chloe nodded, starting to walk away. Clark grinned, but it soon faded when Chloe turned round. "Right after I'm elected head cheerleader."

Dean snorted, patting Clark on the shoulder before walking out the school.

oOo

Chloe shut the door behind her, smiling as Sam stirred. He was lying face down on the table and seemed to have managed to get to sleep. Quietly, she crossed the room and spread the articles for the Torch around the table, hoping to come up with a layout for the next day's issue. A large article about the upcoming election was in the centre.

When Sam snorted, the papers drifted from the table. Chloe groaned, not noticing how Sam raised his head to stare wearily at her. He reached for the large article, reading it quickly. He looked up, seeing Chloe's hand out and asking for the paper back.

"School election?" he asked, tiredly. "Who's running?"

Chloe sighed. "Well, the usual. We've got Paul Chan, Sasha Woodman and Felice Chandler."

Sam shrugged. "I've never heard of them."

Chloe grinned. "And Clark."

"Clark?" Sam repeated. "I can't imagine Clark running for class president."

Chloe grinned at the fact that Sam was taking part in a conversation without snapping at her. "No, neither can I. Pete signed him up. I imagine Felice will probably win. She's the most popular."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but is she the best for the job,"

Chloe shook her head. "I think Paul is. I think Clark could do a good job if he really cared about it, but he's only doing it because Pete signed up. He's going to drop from the race, which means he really doesn't want to do it. If he didn't mind, he'd stay in the race just so he wouldn't upset Pete."

Sam rolled his eyes. "That's one of his powers, isn't it? Trying to not to ever upset anyone?"

Chloe sniggered. "One of his powers? What other powers do you think Clark has?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Well, I doubt he has visions and telekinesis." he mumbled bitterly.

Chloe grinned. "There's nothing wrong with that." she told him. "I think it's kind of cool."

"Yeah?" he asked, frowning. "Well, almost every person I've met with powers has tried to kill either you or Lana."

"I guess so." Chloe pouted, clearly not bothered. "But you would never hurt me or Lana." Sam stared at her. "And Lana would only have to worry if it was Dean with the powers. I don't think he'd stop himself from trying to kill her."

Sam chuckled. "You sure?"

Chloe nodded. "Yep. I think having telekinesis is rather cool."

oOo

After dropping Chloe off at home, Dean had driven straight to the Talon. Considering how much the Sullivan's liked their coffee, it was strange that neither of them could make a decent cup of it. The only problem with the Talon was that Lana Lang was always there.

He stepped into the old theatre and paused, staring at the empty seats filling the café. "You closed?" he asked as Lana appeared from the back room. She started and glanced up at him. "Because it's really empty."

Lana frowned. "We're open. Your usual?"

Dean nodded, slumping into one of the squishy chairs nearest the door. "Then why is it so empty?"

Lana pressed the button on the coffee machine and turned back to look at him. "Everyone's at the Beanery. At least my best customer hasn't switched sides."

Dean smiled, waiting for the coffee to be ready. Lana brought it over and looked like she was about to join him at the table, but a new voice made her straighten up and turn to the door.

"Wow, the place is…" It was Clark Kent, looking round in shock and frowning when he saw Dean and Lana alone in the deserted coffee house.

Dean smirked. "Empty? Deserted? Vacant?"

Clark smiled weakly. "I was looking for a euphemism to say that, but yeah."

Lana led Clark over to the counter, leaving Dean in peace. Unfortunately, the emptiness of the room allowed Dean to hear every word of their conversation.

"The Beanery has been trying to put us out of business ever since we opened. I have tried coupons, price cuts, even ads in the Ledger." she moaned. "So far, nothing's worked. At this rate, we're going to have to close the doors in a month."

Dean grimaced. Before the opening of the Talon, the Beanery was his and Sam's haunt during the day and he would readily admit that the coffee at the Talon was much better, even with Lana controlling the machine.

"Have you spoken to Lex?" Clark asked, eager to help. "He's an investor. I'm sure he can help."

Lana sighed. "He's been uncharacteristically silent. Besides, this is my battle to win or lose, and I am determined to win. Speaking of which, I hear you've got a battle of your own on your hands."

Clark grinned. "The election." he murmured. "I'm not really running."

Lana pouted. "That's too bad." she muttered, walking round the counter to make a drink for Clark. "I think you'd make a great class president."

Clark's eyes widened and he looked down at the brunette. "Really?" he breathed.

Lana glanced back at him, smiling. "Yeah. You're honest, people trust you, and you have this innate sense of justice. I can see it on your face how upset you get every time you think somebody's being mistreated."

Clark smiled softly. "You see all that in me?"

Lana passed him the drink. "Yes, I do."

Dean rolled his eyes as Clark sat, staring at Lana. He placed money on the table to pay for his drink, before slipping out of the café, ignoring when Lana waved goodbye.

oOo

Chloe rolled her eyes as she passed yet another poster for Clark on her way to the Torch. Chloe was amazed that the yellow corridors of Smallville High could get any brighter, but the red and blue posters had achieved just that.

The widest part of the corridor was full of booths, each one manned by different representatives. At the moment, Clark was manning his own, handing out posters and badges to anyone who would stop.

Chloe approached him and he looked up with a large grin, silently passing her a badge. She looked at it with a raised eyebrow.

"Clark Kent, man of tomorrow." she read. "Kind of presumptuous, don't you think?"

Clark scowled. "I like it."

Chloe attached the badge to her jacket. "I thought you were bagging this whole election."

Clark blushed. "I had a change of heart."

Chloe didn't hide her curious expression at his new decision, but she followed his stare to Lana Lang, who was rushing towards Clark, dragging Whitney with her. Whitney dropped his arm from around her shoulder, picking up a poster and frowning.

"The man of tomorrow." Lana muttered, smiling up at Clark. "Very catchy."

"Thanks." Clark told her, grinning. "And thank you for the encouragement."

Lana brushed some hair behind her ear and stared up at Clark. Chloe and Whitney exchanged an exasperated look. "You've got my vote."

Chloe rolled her eyes as Clark smiled. "I was thinking maybe I could have my election rally at the Talon, help bring people by."

If possible, Lana's smile widened. "That sounds great. You know where to find me."

With a grimace, Whitney grasped her hand and started to lead Lana away. She waved to them over her shoulder.

Chloe smirked. "Bye Lana." she called after the couple before rounding on Clark. "You're running because of Lana. Why am I not surprised?"

Clark scowled. "No." he protested. "I'm running because I think I can do a good job."

Chloe snorted. "All right, Clark. Whatever."

"Hey! You know, Pete has faith in me and so does Lana." he glared down at her. "It's interesting that you don't."

Chloe fidgeted with the badge, looking away from Clark. "I just want to know what you stand for."

Clark frowned. "I stand for truth, justice and…" he stammered. "Other stuff."

Chloe barked out a laugh. "Okay, well, you want to be more specific? Like, tell me where you stand on the issues?"

Clark swallowed. "Well, what issues do you want to talk about?"

Chloe inhaled, looking at him seriously. "Well, for starters," she stated, watching as Clark's eyes widened. "there's the plan to cut the arts budget, there's the appalling nutritional value of the cafeteria menu, the whole dress code debate, oh yeah, and not to mention the whole student privacy issues with the locker searches."

Clark looked at her, then he gulped. "Slow down." he told her. "I just decided to run last night."

Chloe grinned up at him, noticing how he relaxed. "Well, I think the man of tomorrow needs a platform for today."

He tensed again, and she strode off, ignoring the strange look Pete shot her when they passed.

oOo

Sam stared at Chloe, watching as she tapped her fingers repeatedly against the desk. He had started spending time downstairs once again and the others hoped that it meant he was getting used to the idea of having telekinesis.

"What's wrong?" he asked curiously, but she ignored him.

"I bet I know." Sam looked up as his brother strode into the room. Dean grinned widely at him, happy to see him downstairs. Chloe glanced at him, eyebrow raised. "I bet you're trying to write an article on the election without sounding too much like you're on Clark's side."

She shook her head and Dean looked shocked, joining the two of them at the table. He watched Chloe, waiting for her to explain.

"Clark's my best friend." She started, but closed her mouth, uncertain how to continue.

"But…" Sam said, waiting for her to speak.

"But," she said, smiling weakly. "I don't think he's really meant for class president. I mean, sure, it's not the same as running for actual president, but he doesn't have a clue what he's doing."

"He'll probably be fine at it if he was actually elected."

"Of course he would." She said, waving aside Sam's comment. "But would you want a class president who didn't even put himself forward? I can't support him if he's got no ideas worth supporting."

"What are his ideas?" asked Sam, actually interested in the conversation.

"Last time I asked him, he had none." Chloe said, sighing. "I can't write a biased article, so not supporting him isn't a problem."

Dean grinned, understanding what Chloe's problem was. "The problem is if Clark finds out you don't support him."

"Exactly." She nodded at him.

"I don't blame you for not supporting him." Dean said, smiling. "He has no ideas and is running because Lana thought he should. If Clark did get elected, it would really be Barbie running the school. Who wants that?"

Chloe snorted. "I guess I'll just write the article and hope Clark doesn't notice that there's no hidden endorsement."

"If he gets angry with you," Dean said, smirking. "Just tell me and I'll destroy him."

Chloe's laughter increased. "He may be a bad candidate for a president but he's still Clark. I don't need him destroyed."

With a grin, she gathered up her laptop and tottered off to her bedroom. Dean turned to Sam, eyebrow raised.

"I doubt you could destroy Clark." Sam told his brother. "He seems rather indestructible."

"I'm sure he has a weakness." Dean said, laughing. "But honestly, I don't know if I'd want to destroy him. He may have a bazillion meteor powers but he doesn't seem as mad as any of the other meteor freaks. In fact, he tends to be rather helpful."

"Not everyone with powers is bad." Sam said stiffly.

Dean looked up at his brother and sighed. "You know I didn't mean it like that." He said awkwardly. He grimaced, trying to find the words that would reassure his brother, but before he could say anything, Sam stood and skulked out of the kitchen.

oOo

Chloe was sorting through her articles for the Torch when Clark entered the office. He stared at her for a few seconds, a mass of posters in his hand.

"Chloe?" He said, watching as she jumped and turned around. "Any chance you could help us hang some posters? Pete's convinced that if he puts my name on enough wall space, I'm guaranteed to win."

Chloe chuckled but shook her head. "Besides needing to remain an impartial member of the fouth estate, I'm still working on my bee story."

"Did you find anything new?"

Chloe grimaced. "Just that the swarms didn't migrate from any of the usual places. The beekeepers from all over the state have found their hives empty. It's like the colonies just up and left."

"That's weird." Clark said, frowning. "Bees are notorious followers. They wouldn't desert their hive without a good reason." Chloe raised an eyebrow at him and he reddened. "My mom's addicted to the Discovery Channel."

"So how goes the platform?" Chloe said, shoving the latest edition underneath the pile of articles. She didn't want Clark to see her article on the race for Class President.

"I haven't started working on it yet." Clark admitted sheepishly. "I've been busy meeting new people." He grinned. "I even got invited to parties this weekend."

"I can't believe it only took one day for you to be compromised by the lure of popularity." Chloe laughed.

"Remind me to pull your funding after I'm elected." Clark teased, pretending to be insulted. "Speaking of which, where's the latest edition?"

Chloe gaped at him, thrown by his change of subject. "No," she replied hastily, standing in front of the pile of articles as if to hide it from him. "No, no, no, no." Clark raised an eyebrow at her refusal. "I'm not done proofing it yet." She said slowly, trying to make up an excuse. "Clark, I really don't think you should be looking at it just yet. It's not even done."

He looked at her in shock. "Come on," he said. "I've been correcting your comma issues since your first laptop."

He gently moved her out of the way and dug through the pile.

"Clark!" Chloe said harshly, hoping he would stop. Instead, he reached the file containing the drafts for the latest edition and opened it.

She watched his face as he read the draft, grimacing when she saw a frown grace his face.

"Paul for Prez." Clark read, glancing up at her. "You endorsed Paul?"

Chloe looked away, unable to look at the betrayed expression on Clark's face. "Clark, I had to be objective." She replied, hoping he would accept her excuse. "Paul's still in the race, and he'll be back on his feet again by fall. It's great that you're all gung-ho and sloganing now, but the truth is that the only reason you ran is because Pete suckered you into it. Paul has a clear stance on issues you have yet to articulate." Clark still looked betrayed, slowly putting the article back onto the pile. "It's nothing personal." She finished weakly.

"No, I understand, Chloe." Clark replied dully, turning and leaving the office.

Chloe grimaced, slumping down next to her desk.

oOo

When Pete and Clark sauntered into the Talon, Dean grinned. At their entrance, Lana had stopped attempting to take his order and had turned away. Sighing in relief, he quickly swallowed the rest of his coffee and stood up, leaving the Talon.

The main street of Smallville was busier than usual as the High School had just finished for the day. He strode between the varying students, catching sight of the familiar blonde hair of Chloe. She was wandering despondently up the street. He caught up with her, tapping her on the shoulder. She turned around.

He looked at her expression and grimaced. "I'm guessing Clark discovered you weren't endorsing him."

She nodded. "He said he understood... but he didn't look like he did."

"He probably thought you were a guaranteed supporter." Dean pointed out. "And I bet an endorsement in the Torch would help his confidence."

"His confidence?"

"You told me he wasn't very fond of public speaking." Dean replied. "Maybe if he knew you supported him, he'd feel more confident about the speech he has to do."

Chloe bit her lip. "You're making me feel worse." she moaned. "You suck at pep talks."

"I wasn't giving you a pep talk." Dean told her, grinning. "I was just telling the truth."

"Maybe this is why I don't hang out with you that often." she grumbled. "You just make me feel bad."

"I don't do this all the time." Dean laughed. "But who else am I supposed to talk to? Sam's being all mopey, no matter how many times I tell him telekinesis is cool."

"I have never heard you say telekinesis is cool." Chloe told him. "In fact, most of the time you seem to be avoiding the subject."

Dean looked at her then grimaced. "That's because it's not cool. The last guy I met with telekinesis-"

"The only guy you've met with telekinesis." Chloe interjected.

"Yeah, him." Dean continued. "Well, he wasn't exactly the nicest person around."

"I don't see why you're thinking about it so much." Chloe said, adjusting her bag strap.

"Thinking?" Dean repeated. "I'm hardly thinking about it. _Sam's_ thinking about it."

"He's allowed. He's the one with the powers." she said. "But he is getting a bit too depressed."

"He's bringing everyone else down." Dean agreed.

"Him and... other things. I still haven't figured out the attack of the killer bees." Chloe grimaced. "I'm hoping it's a completely meteor-free freak accident."

"I don't think you get them in Smallville."

"Neither do I, but I'm allowed to hope." She looked down. "How about we go to a movie, stop thinking about telekinesis and bees."

"A movie?" Dean said slowly. "Where's the cinema?"

"There's one about ten minutes outside Smallville." She told him. "I really want to see the Spiderman film that's just come out."

"Spiderman?" Dean sniggered. "Aren't there enough super-humans in Smallville?"

"But none in costume." She told him.

Dean looked as though he was debating whether or not to go, but eventually he sighed. "I suppose. Just remember to tell your dad. Don't want him kicking us out."

oOo

"Where have you been?"

Dean looked up and smiled innocently when he saw the scowl on Sam's face. "What? Did I miss my curfew?"

Sam was not impressed. "Ha ha." he said, looking away. "Where have you been?"

"Why? Were you worried?"

"No." Sam insisted.

Dean stared at his brother, taking in his hunched position and the dark circles around his eyes. He obviously hadn't been sleeping. Finding out about the telekinesis was hurting him more than anyone else.

"I went to the cinema." Dean told him. "With Chloe."

"Chloe?"

"Yeah. We bumped into each other when I left the Talon." He told Sam, slumping down on his bed. "Clark's not too happy with her and she's still thinking about the bee thing. I think she just wanted to do something else."

"What did you see?" Sam asked reluctantly.

"Spiderman." Dean admitted. "It wasn't too bad. Almost made me wish I had super spidey powers." Sam snorted and Dean grinned at him. "I think Chloe enjoyed it. She seemed to have something for superheroes. I think it's the costumes."

Sam grimaced. "Superheroes aren't real."

Dean raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"So, about all the moping," Dean started, smirking at his brother. "Is it going to stop?"

"What else is there to do?" Sam grumbled. "It's Smallville. There's not much around here."

"There's coffee." Dean said, grinning. "And tomorrow you are coming to the Talon with me. You can be my Barbie buffer."

"Exciting." Sam drawled. "I want to spend my days in a coffee house."

"We could look into the freak bee attack." Dean said. "Chloe said she's getting nowhere with it except the fact that the bees were from many different colonies around the state."

"It would be something to do." Sam said and he smiled at his brother.

"So you are going to venture outside of the house tomorrow?"

Sam nodded.

oOo

"I'm glad you feel that way, because according to my latest poll, you've got a shot."

When Pete finished speaking, Chloe sank into the spare seat to his left. He glanced quickly at her but didn't say anything.

"Hey." Chloe said hesitantly.

Clark looked at her. "Hey."

"How's it going?" Chloe asked, trying to pretend that her endorsement had never existed.

Clark opened his mouth but Pete spoke before he had a chance. "Just answer 'no comment'. That way she can't misquote you."

Chloe looked down, biting her lip. "Did you hear about Felice?"

"Yeah, I was just at the medical centre." Clark replied, ignoring Pete. Chloe smiled at him. "She was stung way worse than Paul. She's in a coma."

Chloe winced. "Two candidates attacked in a week." Pete stated, looking worried. "That's a pretty freaky coincidence."

"I think we've moved past coincidence."

"What do you think is going on?" Chloe asked Clark, wondering if he had managed to find out something.

"I don't know," Clark admitted. "But remember last year, Sasha's accident when she was stung by a whole hive of bees?"

"You think that because of that, _she's_ somehow controlling them?"

"It's a theory." Clark said sheepishly.

"Yeah, by several leaps and bounds." Chloe chuckled. Clark looked away, clearly still upset from the previous day. "But I'll look into it." She smiled at him. "In the meantime, watch your back."

oOo

"I'm not too fond of bees." Dean said, as they slowly clambered down into Shuster's Gorge. Chloe had rung them to tell them about Sasha's accident the previous year, telling them that they had to check the gorge out.

"Neither am I." Sam replied.

"Why are all the bugs in Smallville so weird?" Dean asked, grimacing. "This is the second bug related thing in less than a year."

"Because the meteor rocks make everything in Smallville weird." Sam answered, picking one up from the bottom of the gorge. "If that girl got attacked by a hive of bees from this gorge, no wonder she's turned into the queen bee."

"It's like bug boy all over again." Dean grimaced. "Except there's less walking on walls."

"She's going a bit far though." Sam said, tossing the rock to Dean. "It's a school election. No need to incapacitate the victims."

"I think another side effect of the meteors is mental instability." Dean commented, turning the rock round in his hand. "Why are these meteors different to others? I mean, there have been other meteor strikes, right?"

"I've read about a few since we got to Smallville." Sam admitted.

"So that's what you were doing when you refused to come downstairs." Dean sniggered. "Looking up meteors."

"In the 50s, a woman was hit by a meteorite in her own home." Dean raised an eyebrow. "She got a few bruises but I didn't hear of any special powers. Apart from Smallville, I can't find anywhere else that has a correlation between meteor strikes and special abilities. I can't even really find many people with special abilities who aren't from Smallville."

"There's definitely something about these meteors." Dean agreed, pocketing the rock. "But what we need to do is find out about the bees."

"There aren't any bees here." Sam pointed out.

"Of course there's not." Dean said, grimacing. "All the bees have left, remember? They're busy attacking candidates for school president."

oOo

Lana had called her at the Torch, mumbling hysterically about a bee attack at the Torch. When Lana had calmed down, she had explained the whole encounter. Sasha had gone after another candidate, but this time her attack had failed. Lana had hung up and Chloe had done an extensive search, learning as much as she could about bees in an attempt to learn exactly how Sasha was controlling them.

Despite learning a ridiculous amount about bees, she eventually decided to head over to Sasha's house.

The house was locked, and so she wandered around the back of the house.

When she reached the shed, she found Clark standing in the middle of the room, looking at a few pictures stuck to the wall. She turned on her torch, suppressing a snigger as Clark jumped.

"Lana told me about the Talon." Chloe said, attempting to explain her appearance. "Thanks for the call." she finished, sarcastically.

"Sorry." Clark said weakly, distracted.

"It's all right." she replied, shrugging. And it was true. Her conversation with Dean the previous day had calmed her down, knowing that she couldn't expect Clark to be pleased by her lack of support. "I'm not mad."

"Look, Chloe. I don't hold it against you." Clark said, finally turning away from the wall to look at her. "The endorsement, I mean."

"Thanks." she said, smiling. "I could have warned you, though. I was worried about how you would react, so I didn't tell you." She laughed slightly. "Probably made it worse."

Clark nodded. "I just don't like being in a fight with you."

"Yeah, it wasn't my favourite part either."

"Everything has changed in my life in the last year," Clark admitted slowly. "With my parents, with Lana. The only thing constant has been you. I'm glad for that, Chloe."

Chloe beamed at him. "Me too."

They stood in a comfortable silence for a few moments, smiling at each other. Chloe jumped as she felt something drop onto her shoulder.

Clark reached forwards, wiping her shoulder with his finger. He rubbed the two fingers together, scowling.

"This feels like honey." he stated, frowning.

Chloe, however, was looking upwards. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the golden stalactites connected to the ceiling.

"Yeah," she said, shocked. "That's what you usually find in a hive."

Clark gaped at the ceiling. "Don't tell me Sasha did all this."

"No, her worker bees did." Chloe stated, remembering what she had read online.

"How is she controlling them?"

"I think she's emitting something called the queen mandibular pheromone."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "She picked that up when she fell in the hive?"

"She was stung over a thousand times." she told him, wincing at the thought. "They were Africanized honeybees and the doctors didn't hold out much hope because she was allergic."

"How do they account for the miracle recovery?"

"They don't." She replied. "And neither could I until I found out the accident happened in Shuster's Gorge."

Clark sighed. "That's the deepest crater in town."

"Yeah, you do the meteorite math. The bees did something to her to make her their queen bee."

"Now all the bees in the state are taking their cue from her." Clark finished.

"And they're helping her make Smallville High her own personal hive." Chloe said, finally realizing exactly why Sasha was going after the candidates.

"We better find her." Clark said, looking horrified. "If she doesn't like the way the vote goes, the school won't be a pretty sight."

"Neither will she." Chloe told him. "Bees are only loyal to a point. Once she loses control, her scent will change, the bees will know. They won't be happy."

oOo

It was dark by the time Dean and Sam returned from Shuster's Gorge. Chloe was sitting in the kitchen, tapping her fingers on the table.

"You still up, Sullivan?" Dean said as he shut the door.

"It's not that late." she laughed. "I don't know how you spent so long at Shuster's Gorge."

"Sammy decided that he had to investigate every single nook and cranny." Dean said, shooting a grin at his brother. "I have never picked up so many meteor rocks in my life."

"Clark called." Chloe said, smiling slightly.

Dean noticed her look. "I guess you've made up then."

She nodded. "He talked to Sasha. Apparently, the bees turned on her. I guess they figured out that she was never going to win the election."

"Is she alright?" Sam asked.

"I guess." Chloe shrugged. "If any of them had stung her, she'd be in the hospital. Clark must have done something."

"I bet he did." Dean agreed.

"He told me that the bees won't be bothering anyone anymore." she said. "He said he torched them somehow."

"So what's going to happen with the election?" Sam asked, sitting next to her. "I guess Sasha isn't going to be running anymore."

"She dropped out. Felice did too." Chloe announced. "But we'll find out the winner tomorrow."

"I'm going to head up." Dean said, bringing the rock out of his pocket. "Look at my growing rock collection. It's currently contains... two rocks."

Chloe laughed, waving as he headed up the stairs. She then turned to Sam. "So, you went out today?"

"Why do you sound so shocked?" Sam asked, smiling at her.

"And you're smiling." she laughed.

"Is that so unusual?"

"It has been recently." Chloe told him. "I mean, you barely expressed any interest in the killer bees until today."

"You try coping with the fact that you're telekinetic." Sam said, grinning. "It's not exactly something most people have to deal with."

"In Smallville, it seems to happen to quite a few people." Chloe pointed out. "But, honestly, Sam, are you sure it wasn't just a fluke? You've said it yourself; you can't move things with your mind even if you focus."

Sam smiled at her. "Let's hope that's true."

oOo

Dean was hunting out a good cup of coffee, impressed by how the Talon had suddenly regained its popularity. Sam was hovering awkwardly by a table of cakes, Clark and Pete standing next to him.

Chloe was meandering through the crowd, taking pictures of what was going on.

Pete and Clark had attempted to talk to Sam, but eventually they had given up when he only gave one word replies.

"I can't believe Felice and Sasha both dropped out and you still lost." Pete said, sighing dramatically. "Where did I go wrong?"

"You ran a good campaign, Pete." Clark told him, grinning. "We had fun. Met some new people, and we have enough shirts to last a lifetime."

Chloe had finally arrived in front of them, camera raised.

"Please tell me that's not for the Torch." Pete begged.

Chloe shook her head, smiling at the three guys. "It's for Paul. Since he couldn't attend his own victory party himself, he asked me to take pictures for him."

"Chloe, you were right to endorse him." Clark said and she turned to look at him. Sam tried to pretend he wasn't listening. "He was the more qualified candidate, and I got caught up in the whole popularity rush."

"Don't start gloating just because you guys won." Pete begged and Chloe chuckled.

"Well, my candidate may have won, but my friends lost." She laid a hand on Clark's arm. "I'm really proud of you tonight, Clark."

"Why?" Clark asked, looking down at her hand.

"Because you're exhibiting dignity in the face of defeat." she explained. "It's the quality that all great leaders possess."

He smiled down at her, passing her a coffee. Chloe beamed up at him, removing her hand when Dean appeared at her side. Sam turned, frowning at his brother.

"What?"

"Well, I've had my coffee and Lana seems to be eyeing me." He smirked as Clark tensed up. "Well, she might be eyeing someone else." he said, staring at Clark. "But either way, she's heading over here so I figured it was time to head out."

"She has a boyfriend." Clark stammered and Dean grinned.

"I don't care. I just want to get out of here before she makes contact with me." he nudged his brother. "So shall we go?"

"Chloe?" Sam asked, looking at her. "Are you coming?"

"She doesn't have to." Pete said, smiling at her. "I mean, you need to spend some time here not taking photos."

Chloe grinned at him. "I can't get home if I don't leave with them."

"I can drive you home." Pete offered. "I need to apologise for how I treated during this whole election thing anyway."

"Pete," grinned Chloe. "That's so sweet."

"So I guess you're staying." Sam said slowly. "We'll see you later."

Chloe nodded, waving at them as they left the Talon. As Chloe lowered the camera, Clark shuffled off to see Lana and Lex.

"So, we haven't had any Pete and Chloe time in a while..." Pete trailed off, slinging an arm around Chloe. Chloe grinned, allowing him to lead her into the crowd.


End file.
